They Stood
by CschMan20
Summary: [Post-war AU] Ten years have passed since the end of the war, and the Elemental Nations are plagued by a horrible disease. Millions have died and are continuing to die with only a small remnant of survivors finding themselves somehow immune to the virus. Naruto and the other survivors press on to salvage what they can from the disaster.
1. Dissolution

Chapter 1: Dissolution

" _This is the way the world ends  
Not with a bang but a whimper."  
_

 _-T.S. Eliot_

* * *

Rock Lee was dying.

There were very few instances in the _taijutsu_ master's life where he had ever considered himself weak. Of course, there were moments filled with drive and steeled resolve over cool nights of tea with his son and wife where he had wanted to excel past his former self. And within that calm state of reflection, he knew he was on the correct path to true strength. Because there were also times where he had trained his body until the bones in his feet shattered, and his hands were reduced to bloody stumps while his entire physical core screamed in agony to remind him he was making progress. During those instances of intense training, no one in their right mind would state he was weak. But it was at that moment where his heart contained poisoned blood, and his mind carried despair that he realized his fate.

He could do nothing.

The virus had spread far too quickly for anyone to do anything. Even if they had time to properly analyze and determine what was happening, the virus would have completed its bleak task. Practically everyone was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Rock Lee felt so powerless. He had buried his four-year-old son not even a week ago, and now his wife was wiping his sweaty brow with a soft towel, her bruised eyes staring down at him dimly. She coughed a dab of blood into her hand that was covered in purple bruises and glared at it with contempt. Rock Lee knew exactly how she felt. He had been in her position not more than a few days ago, and he knew his wife would reach his hopeless state soon enough. At this point, she was simply bringing some comfort to him as he advanced towards the abyss where all humans must eventually go.

Rock Lee cursed his fate, regret flooding his sullied pores. He also had to bury his _sensei_ , but there was no one able or willing to do it. There were just too many friends were either dying or already dead. He knew of the few who had been unaffected, but his mind could not linger on them without some jealous needle poking him towards the abyss. He loathed this hopelessness because even his acceptance of the situation could not quell the horrific demise of his loved ones. He had always wanted what was best for his family and friends. Surely, this was nothing of the sort!

The virus ruined everything and now that he was nearing his destruction, he could only look back on his life with some form of relief. They had won the war ten years ago, and Naruto had brought Sasuke back. The Elemental Nations had known peace, and hate was all but obliterated among the population. Rock Lee's friends had grown into fine adults and had started their own families. Kakashi had been the Hokage and had only just recently transferred the title to Naruto.

Rock Lee could only feel empathy for Naruto. He had been Hokage for barely a month and now had to handle the terrible affliction that ravaged the world. It was such a tragedy, and Rock Lee wished he could help his friend. But his life was ending now, and there was little he could do for even himself, let alone his family. His wife had no more tears to spare, and he knew she had accepted it all when their son had died.

He remembered when he had met his beautiful wife. She was the daughter of a shopkeeper and when he had seen her that day in the shop six years ago, he had been smitten by her charm. He had initially been there to buy some training equipment, but ended up also buying some flowers to give to the young girl. It did not take her long to fall in love with his energy and determination. They married not long after that, and Rock Lee had never been happier when they finally had a child. A long tear escaped the man's eye as he ruminated on the beautiful day where he had received the greatest gift he could have ever asked for. He ignored the hollow reality around him for just a moment longer. He had to if he was going to escape peacefully.

As the last few moments drifted through and around him, Rock Lee knew only emotion and thought. The world he had been a part of was one of beauty and tangible essence. He could never forget it and knew knowledge was all he had left now. His memories would not die with him and would venture forth into the unknown world ahead of him. He allowed his wife's tender fingers to caress and bring him some form of solace.

He knew it now, and there was nothing that could ever change that. Rock Lee transcended all of it then. He transcended this reality and moved past the pain and suffering towards the world that held only the eternal. There had to be something past time, something past this cold world filled with mutual peace and sorrow. He wanted to grasp it in his bandaged hands, encased in the ugly, purple bruises, and could feel his limbs reach up trying to clutch at what he could. His knowledge was there. His memories were there and love was known there.

There was something _real_ there.

Rock Lee's hand reached up to his wife's cheek and stroked it softly. The worn, bandaged hand scratched against her ruddy face, and she smiled softly down at his pitiful state. The man who had surpassed Might Guy long ago was now nothing more than a lifeless shell of a man, but she still loved him and would be there for him in his final moments. The quiet, still room of their apartment was a haven for him, and there was no other place he would wish to be.

His wife breathed in his final words, and Rock Lee made sure they contained all of his lingering energy. His chapped lips slowly dusted the air when he spoke.

"You're real," he uttered with his last breath.

His fingers skirted across her cheeks and then fell. She cried then and wanted to give so much more to him because he deserved it. She could only allow her final days to wane along through the dim. He was at the abyss now, waiting for her.

Rock Lee was dead.

* * *

Sakura knew what was at the top of the stairs, and she dreaded every step she took to reach it. She climbed the wooden staircase slowly, her long medical coat brushing against the steps. The front door had been unlocked and she had let herself in, her current mission hanging over her. She reached the top of the stairs and stared into the dark room in front of her. The door leading into the room was wide open, and Sakura could see a small sliver of light poking through a curtain into the room.

She supposed that was the only light left in there.

She walked into the bedroom and saw a pitiful sight. It was what she was expecting, but it dug into her with all its depressing oiliness. The Hokage was sitting on his bed, caressing the pallid face of his recently-deceased wife. She knew he was as healthy as he had ever been right now. She had checked him earlier that morning.

She wanted to say something to him, something to mitigate the misery he was experiencing. He was usually such a bright light for everybody, someone who instilled hope and cheerfulness in the hearts of those he loved. His inauguration ceremony had only been a month ago, and his first decree as Hokage was to declare his birthday a village holiday. He called it: Konoha's Ramen Day, and everyone in the village would be served ramen the whole day. He was such a silly and undisciplined fellow, but Sakura loved him dearly and considered him to be her best friend.

And now, he was diminished to a man mourning the death of his heart.

The world was cruel, Sakura thought.

Naruto spoke evenly, his tone carrying no hint of emotion when he saw her walk in. "She died a few minutes ago. Sorry that you missed her."

Sakura couldn't raise her voice above a whisper. "It's…alright. What did she say?"

"She told me she wanted to dance with me one last time." She could tell he was going to break in front of her any second. "Do you know when the last time we danced was?"

Sakura couldn't give an answer. "It was during our wedding," he said. "I can't believe she wanted to do something like that. If I had known, maybe I could have given her that yesterday or the day before. A week ago, perhaps, when she was _healthy_." On that last word, his visage changed and the tears fell upon the bedsheet.

Sakura moved instinctively and held him from her standing position. He buried his face into her torso and wept. After everything they had been through, this was where they had ended up. They had gone through a myriad of adventures involving perilous events and tragic circumstances, but so many people were dying. So many were already dead. Friends and family were all gone, as if they were a crop of wheat that had been completely obliterated by some storm or plague of locusts. Except this was not a plague of locusts, but some kind of vile disease that showed no mercy. As one of the only healthy and able medical staff members at the hospital, Sakura had almost no sleep the last two weeks. She could tell by the strain in Naruto's face she wasn't the only one.

"Rock Lee died this morning," she stated softly. She wanted to say something positive, but bad news was so common now that it didn't even seem bad anymore. It was normal.

Somehow, Naruto's tears lessened after hearing that. "I see," he said, his tone sounding distant. "What about his wife?"

"She's still alive, but she's past the third stage. I give her another two days or so."

Naruto released his embrace of her and stood up from the bed. His face had hardened, as if the moment had changed and he could be allowed to be stoic again. Hinata had recently dubbed that expression his 'Hokage Look,' and he displayed it whenever it was necessary. "How are the labs going?"

Sakura shrugged, her face appearing to be bored. She had lost most of her emotion a week ago after her parents had died. "Considering it's only me, Ino, Shizune, and some part-time assistants, not far." She barely had time or people to man the hospital, so research for a cure had to be put on the back burner. By the time she could find something useful, it would be too late.

He already knew all that, but she felt some emphasis would help him right now. Hopefully, it could give him some stability to center his thoughts. If there was anything she could give to him to help, she would do it.

Naruto's head swerved to stare down at his wife's corpse. "I suppose you couldn't save the baby?"

"Even if I could—"

"Shizune had said it was a boy. Did she tell you that?"

Please, she thought, don't lose it, Naruto. I need you, of all the people still left; I need you to be stable. Please, keep it together. "Yes, she mentioned it."

"Do you think he would have had my eyes or Hinata's?" He looked at her. There was sanity there. He would be fine as long as someone was there for him. If he could connect to just a few people, he could move forward. He had done it way back in the beginning, and he could do it again. This time he would have her, and she would make up for how mean she had been to him back when they were kids.

"I don't know, Naruto. Considering how recessive your genes probably are, I would guess hers."

He nodded his head thoughtfully, as if the idea had never really crossed his mind. "Has anybody else passed away today?"

She frowned in thought. That used to be a question that should never have been asked so casually between them, (or anybody for that matter) but the world was different now. They had to act this way in order to maintain their sanity. "No. You heard about Chōji and Karui last night, though?"

His nod was slow, but obvious. "Yes." He paused. "Should you check Hinata's pulse?" He was digressing again, she thought. It must be a coping mechanism. She wondered if it actually helped. "Just to check?"

Sakura glanced at the beautiful body on the bed. The body of Hinata was wrapped snugly in the blankets and appeared as if she was merely sleeping. Sakura surmised it _was_ sleeping in a certain way. Somehow, that made the whole ordeal a little peaceful, almost inviting. "You're able to sense chakra, Naruto. I'm sure your diagnosis will be as good as—" She paused. The look he was giving her was filled with true agony. He was pleading with her, and she was being insensitive.

"I'll check," she offered and stepped over to the bed. She did a medical check of the body, something she had to do countless times in the last two weeks. This time, however, was different. She had laughed and cried with this girl for many years of her life. Hinata was her friend— not as close to her as Ino but a friend still— and to see her in such a state really made the whole matter existential.

After a long pause, Sakura turned her attention to the living. "She's gone," she whispered for fear of her voice sounding shaky. This one hurt, she concluded.

Naruto nodded grimly and cried again into his hands.

It really fucking hurt.

* * *

The rusty haze of the early sunset cloaked the bubble of smoke over Konoha. Scattered fires were aflame across the plethora of fields surrounding the village, burning the dead.

The area around the biggest training ground (turned graveyard recently like the other half of the village) was not far away enough from the outskirts of Konoha to not allow the stench of the death to reach it. There were fresh mounds of dirt dispersed across the humongous field and small groups of the healthy were swiftly trying to bury the dead. The last two weeks had consisted of a form of bewilderment for the parties of survivors and a great time of mourning for the lost. They hastily had realized there was no time for funerals with all the bodies and had begun performing mass burials.

Of course, some of them took the time to individually perform the proper rites for their loved ones.

Shikamaru buried his best friend's corpse into the freshly-dug ground. He was usually thankful for his Earth affinity, but right now it felt like a burden, like most things had lately. The spot he had picked out for Chōji and his wife of five years, Karui, was located right next to Temari's grave, which he had dug not a few days before.

He lowered the bandaged body into the six-foot-deep hole right next to Karui's also bandaged figure. For a bloated moment, Shikamaru stood there above the grave and gazed down at the two bodies of those he had cared so much for in his life. He had known Chōji for most of his life and their lives had certainly been brimming with interesting developments since Day #1. Growing up in the same generation as Naruto was a feat in itself and had caused everyone to stare in wonder at the events that had unfolded before the world. A handful of powerful individuals had saved everybody, and he had tried to help them as best he could.

So had Chōji, Shikamaru recalled dimly.

The cheery life of his best friend was gone now, and there was an odd cognizance that emerged from that insight. Shikamaru could feel the beginning of a divine understanding locked somewhere deep in the grief he was experiencing so strongly. His wife and his best friend had been snatched from him, so he was feeling pain, a lot of pain, but his brilliant mind just wouldn't let it end there. There was a hopeful bit of reality lying underneath the grimy sensations, and he knew he couldn't see it clearly now; he probably wouldn't be able to for a while still. But he knew there was _something_ to look forward to and as time would pass and the future settled down to a calm level, Shikamaru could learn some significant lesson.

He just hoped it was worth it.

Shikamaru suddenly heard footsteps behind him and saw a flash of platinum blonde before he saw her face. Ino stood behind him, and she was looking at him with a wistful expression. He wondered if his own face looked like that. She was still wearing the same medical outfit he had seen her wearing a few days ago; he couldn't blame her.

"Sorry I'm late," she stated softly. Shikamaru didn't like seeing her like this and wanted desperately for her to berate his actions like she usually did.

Anything, he thought, say anything that would make this feel like our normal interactions. Anything to make this all look less hopeless. "It's fine," he said. "I'm surprised you were even able to get away from the hospital." He gave her a weak smile.

Ino didn't smile back. Her almost-ornate blue eyes were opaque, like a heavily clouded sky where the blue is still seen but not known, not fully there. "Rock Lee died this morning, Shikamaru. His body was brought to us an hour or so ago."

 _Shit_ , Shikamaru thought. His chest heaved, and he clutched it forcefully. How could he still have so much room for agony? Lee had been diagnosed with the virus less than a week ago, so it had come as no surprise for any of them. The 100% mortality rate left no room for miracles, but Rock Lee deserved more than that. He deserved more than a quiet and slow departure by his friends where the surprise faded and the acceptance came before the death had even happened. He deserved this pain from his friends and this affirming action by those he had loved dearly.

So, Shikamaru suffered. He suffered for his friends.

After a moment of grief, Shikamaru choked out a response: "Should we have a little ceremony like this for him too?" He knew such a pathetic act like this shouldn't have been deemed a 'ceremony,' but that notion wouldn't have helped. And they needed all the help they could get.

Ino shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It would just slow us down even more."

The thoughts of Rock Lee's interests jumped through. "That's not fair!" Shikamaru said louder than he had intended. There was no need for shouting, but again, Rock Lee _deserved_ this. "That's like saying Chōji and the others were worth the time, but he's not!"

Ino's eyes were like stone. She had lost Sai last week, and it was amazing she still had the emotion to look the way she did. "He doesn't need it, Shikamaru. Funerals aren't for the dead because they can't feel or know anything anymore."

"Of course," he conveyed with a lower tone now. "But that just shows how little he is compared to the others. We loved him, Ino! We cared so much for him and experienced so much with him and now you want me to just comply with this terrible decision for convenience?"

It was Ino's turn to shout. "It's all we have left, Shikamaru! Do you see anything else we can fight for? The living? How do we know that we will still be alive in a month? What if the virus is just slow to us? We only have time now, and we must utilize as much as we can. It's that we know— knew Rock Lee so well that we should be able to do this. He would hate this. He would hate the fact that we're here arguing about what to do with his body, that we're wasting our time just fighting because of him. He was so selfless and if he was here, he would beg us to keep moving and do something. Do what is best for _us_ , not for him. We have to, Shikamaru. We have to."

Shikamaru's hands were coiled into fists, and his teeth strained against each other in frustration. Ino's reasoning was solid, more than his and that in itself was hard to swallow. He still had some pride left, he thought sternly, and that was something.

"All right," he complied. "What can I do then?"

Ino stepped past him and dropped her head with eyes closed. Shikamaru realized what she was doing over the grave and silently joined her.

After a welcomed second, they both opened their eyes and looked at each other. "Did I just contradict myself?" she asked, a tiny smile forming along her lips.

Shikamaru placed his muddied hand on her shoulder. Normally, she would have yelled something about hygiene and how her clothes shouldn't be tarnished, but grief made them different people. Besides, her clothes were already a mess. "It's OK. I think we can afford to be hypocritical right now. We've got to embrace whatever we can."

Ino actually giggled at that. It sounded so foreign to the area around them, like a silver bell chiming in some dark, perilous cave. "Shikamaru, that sounds terrible. With that logic, we could do whatever we wanted and somehow justify it."

He shrugged. "That sounds better than coping with all this."

"So you want to find a form of escape? Isn't that a little irresponsible for someone with your credentials?"

At a time like this, the Nara wanted desperately to forget about his titles. However, he supposed that would mean also forgetting himself entirely while he was at it, and that sounded troublesome. "Probably," he confessed. "Can't I be a little irresponsible right now?"

Ino's lips folded thinly. Her eyes darted between him and the grave. The small remnants of mirth they had gratefully collected melted away in her still-opaque eyes. "No, you can't. You should probably go try to communicate with the rest of the Union."

He knew that. He knew it was his most important duty right now, but with the lack of manpower all over the Elemental Nations, there was barely more than one word messages sent back and forth between everyone. Still, it was better than nothing. "You're right, and you should head back to the hospital."

There was a hint of a sly smile underneath Ino's features. It would have been there fully under different circumstances. "Actually, I'm on break. I'm going back to my place for a nap."

"OK," he said. He turned his body away from her as if done with the conversation, but retreated back. "Ino?"

Ino's head tilted gently. "Hmm?"

"Do you think I could stay at your place tonight? I—I don't want to be alone."

For the first time in a couple days, Ino was able to summon up a few tears. Her friend was suffering so greatly, and he was holding it in for her. She had just been gifted the moment to see a crack in him, and she was thankful for his friendship. Truth be told, she needed him too. "Absolutely," she said.

The crackle of distant fires and the plumes of smoke rose past them and carried the scent of death and sickness into the twilight.

* * *

Naruto opened the door for Sakura, and she entered the white room that served as the main lab. He admired how clean the lab was considering the amount of hands that were able to do anything in it.

He had wanted to go to the hospital with Sakura for two reasons: he didn't want to be alone any longer than he had to, and he wanted to see any progress with his own eyes. Sakura had mentioned to him on the way over, as the sun had set and the night had brought some cold comfort to the village, she could only be in there for an hour until she had to return to her other duties. He understood and they made a beeline for the hospital.

Shizune and a young male assistant were the only other people in the room and turned from their work to see them enter. Shizune's eyes were wide as she saw the towering frame of the Hokage. "Naruto _-sama_ , what are you doing here?"

Naruto smiled when he saw her. Shizune had always been a welcoming sight to him. She reminded him of Tsunade. With that thought, he quickly wondered where the retired Godaime's current whereabouts were. He was pretty sure she was still alive, (if anybody else could survive a deadly global disease besides him and the other jinchūriki, it was her) but it would help the situation a lot if she was there to help.

"I've told you a thousand times to drop the whole ' _sama_ ' thing, Shizune," Naruto stated, amused.

The older woman flushed. "Sorry, Naruto- _s…_ er…yes— why are you here, though?"

"Shizune, he's the Hokage," Sakura said with no annoyance laced into her voice. "He can do as he pleases. He just came along to see what we've accomplished so far."

Shizune deflated at hearing her words. The male assistant looked down at his shoes, appearing to be sick with something that was not the disease. Being overworked tended to do that, Naruto surmised.

"Well, that's not much," the assistant said.

Sakura folded her arms. She was the Head of the Medical Corps and Head Physician in Konoha, and she carried the titles well. Kakashi had given her both titles early in his office, and no one ever doubted she had earned them. "Have you made any progress since your report last night?"

Shizune shook her head grimly. "No, our goals haven't changed and we're still trying to isolate the DNA. It's hard when you don't know what to look for."

Naruto illustrated his confusion by rubbing the back of his neck. Sakura saved him from his ignorance. "We're trying to figure out how the virus works. If we can isolate the DNA of the blood of an infected individual and compare it with the sample of someone who is not infected, then maybe we can find a vaccine."

"So, it's a virus?" Naruto asked with a line of clarity.

"Yes," Shizune said with confidence. "We're certain of that. There's not much else we know about it other than the symptoms."

"The purple bruises?" Naruto inquired.

"Exactly," Sakura said. "That's the first stage, anyways. I don't think I need to inform you of the other three."

She didn't. Naruto had witnessed it all himself the past several days. He had nursed and watched over his dying wife every second of it. He hadn't slept one wink in the last week, and he thanked Kurama every morning for the energy they shared. The old fox grieved with him, of course. He had grown to be really fond of Hinata over the last few years.

"Have you found any differences between the blood samples at all?" asked Naruto.

Shizune shook her head somberly. "Not yet. At first, we thought it was some kind of enzyme that certain people carried, but there's not a consistent one held between the survivors. We have no idea what allows the virus to enter and activate in specific individuals, but we know it's a lot."

That much was clear to see, Naruto thought. Approximately 80% of the entire population of Konoha was dead or dying, and thanks to the short messages he had received from the other Nations, that statistic was pretty consistent across the board. "What else could it be?"

Shizune's jaw hardened, and Sakura jumped in to take over. She was better at explaining this stuff, anyways. "DNA is a really complex thing, Naruto," said the pink-haired doctor. "It could be something as simple as one covalent bond in one specific place that helps or a whole sequence of bonds. It might not even be the DNA, but that's unlikely because a virus like this almost always interferes with the cell's DNA."

Naruto wasn't even going to pretend he knew what a 'covalent bond' was, but he was able to understand the gist. "So, how long do you think it'll be until you guys figure it out?"

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. "No idea. There's only a handful of us working on this, and Shizune's the only one who is solely on top of it." Shizune's aid would certainly be useful with the rest of the multiple medical requirements being highly prevalent at the hospital, but her expertise settled in research, and Sakura knew it was best to fit people in with their strengths.

Sakura took a quick survey of the room and picked up on an early observation. "Where did Ino go, by the way? Is she helping out in the medical ward?"

"No, I gave her a break. She's been working for the last seventy-six hours, and I was afraid she was going to collapse."

Sakura grimaced. She had forgotten not everyone had the same energy reserves she did. She was working everyone to the bone, and her expectations had been far too high for each of them. The fact that Naruto never did this to his subordinates perplexed her immensely. The man just cared so much. Despite that, though, she was still rather upset with the blond. But she could handle that later. "Alright." She took a deep breath and kept her voice level and neat. "Then the two of you should also take a break."

Shizune felt a surge of rebellion flood her veins. "No, Sakura- _san_. We're both fine. We have plenty of energy le—"

"These are my orders, Shizune. You won't be able to help anybody if you die from exhaustion. Considering the circumstances, something like that would be tragic _and_ ironic. Now, go get some food and rest." She smirked. "Doctor's orders."

Shizune still carried a cloud of stubbornness in her eyes, but she acquiesced. "Very well, Sakura _-san_." She nodded to the assistant, and they packed up their belongings and left.

After their departure, Sakura and Naruto were left alone. She turned to the tall blond with that same look of sternness he had seen her direct towards him many times in the past. It made him feel safe. "You need to get some rest too, Naruto. As the Head Physician and your personal one, I order it."

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. The sensation felt so alien-like to him. The last time he had laughed had been so long ago that it all felt rusted. "I think as the Hokage, my title trumps yours."

She smiled softly, and he thought she looked beautiful, like the only flower still alive in a dead field. "Then I'm asking as your friend. Please, go home and get some sleep."

His hand grabbed hers and she gasped, startled by the touch. "Will you join me?" He didn't intend for such a question to carry any innuendo to it. He knew she was smart and wouldn't think that either.

She didn't.

"I don't know, Naruto. I have a lot of work to do here. I can't afford the time to rest."

"Well then, you're not a doctor. Just a hypocrite."

His wan smile brought her some comfort, so she gave in to the request. "Alright. But just until morning." She was not aware of the many other widows, widowers, and lonely individuals throughout the village who would all be doing the same thing that night; she was still unmarried so it didn't really reach far into her level of knowledge. "I've got to get back to work soon, after all."

"That'll be long enough. Can we go to your place, mine is a little—" All of a sudden, he choked on more tears that dripped down his cheeks and jawline to pool upon his tattered shirt.

The noise sounded like music to her tired ears. It meant he was grieving properly. She had known too many people lately that hadn't cried yet, and it showed how honest the blond was with himself that he was able to display some emotion. Still, the anger was there. She had needed him for so long now and so did everyone else. But she forgot her indignation for now, for the sake of his tears.

After all, he was a good man and the best leader for Konoha.

"You bet," she said. "My bed's big enough, I believe."

They carried each other from that point and gave one another the amount of care they managed to share. Sakura knew Naruto was the strongest out of the two of them, physically and mentally. He would be the cornerstone and inspiration for everyone to push forward towards the future that appeared dark and bleak. He could handle a ton of weight, as evidenced by his past achievements, and he would clear the path for the survivors to walk. He would stand tall with them and rescue them from their abundance of despair.

This was their new beginning, and they knew there was an end to it.

* * *

 **Hello, everybody! This is going to be kind of a long comment because there's a lot I need to clarify. First off, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read this first chapter of what I plan to be a fairly long story. My goal, at least, is for this to be my longest story yet. I've outlined the story by chapter so far, and I'm pretty sure it should roughly end around 200k words. That's subject to change, of course, but we'll see how it goes.**

 **As you can probably see this story is pretty dark, hence the _tragedy_ tag, but don't let that dissuade you. I'm not a pessimist at heart, so the story should develop lighter, happier tones as it progresses. I know a lot of influential characters have died and you'll see more perish as time goes on, but I hope that won't turn you away. If it does, well I don't feel like apologizing for that. This story will go as I think it should, so there's that.**

 **I'd like to point out that this story is heavily based not only around _Naruto_ , but also around Stephen King's _The Stand_. I've always wanted to write something similar to that masterpiece, and this is my chance to do so.**

 **As mentioned in the summary, this is a NarutoxSamui fic, and she'll be introduced further down the road. I've got to set a few things up before the romance aspect takes full effect. So, please be patient with me on that matter. There will be other pairings, and you'll just have to wait to see those develop.**

 **I know I've left a lot out of the explanation of the virus and the details surrounding that. Don't worry, that's on purpose. I should have everything answered pertaining to that in the next several chapters, so don't ask me a ton of questions that I plan to answer later, otherwise, you'll just receive a "wait to find out" message from me. If you have any other questions, let me know through a PM or a review. If you'd just like to let me know your thoughts and opinions through the same means, then please send those.**

 **This is going to be a huge project to undertake and my updates will probably be slow for a month or so, but I plan to finish it. With that, I thank and wish you all the best!**

 **See you in the next chapter!**

 **-CM**


	2. Capricious Ashes

Chapter 2: Capricious Ashes

" _This fall I think you're riding for—it's a special kind of fall, a horrible kind."_

 _-J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye_

* * *

Shikamaru awoke to the gentle feet of the rain sparkling against the bedroom window. He sat up in the bed, half-expecting to find the woman he had slept next to the night before.

Ino was gone, and he felt alone.

After laying on the bed for a little while, the Nara got up and approached the window. He stared out upon the rainy morning and admired the pattern of raindrops falling on the village. Ino's apartment was on the top level of the building, and Shikamaru could see most of the southern section of the village. He supposed the rain would be bad for the fires used to dispose of the numerous bodies, but it would be great for Konoha in general.

It would clean it.

Shikamaru stepped away from the window and put on his shirt that he had discarded before he had gone to bed. He had been self-conscious about sleeping half-naked with Ino, but she had shown no opposition to it (she had actually slept in her underwear that night) and had slept peacefully.

It was probably for the best that they didn't wake up together. It could have been a little awkward, and Shikamaru could have mistaken her for Temari. Her death had shaken him to a terrible degree, further than Asuma's death had been. The first two days had been the hardest. He had been unable to eat and sleep for that time and had tried to immerse himself in his duties. That hadn't been hard considering all the tasks that required completion. He had cried while he had worked and felt nothing but more sorrow from it. His wife, the woman he had loved more than any other person on the planet, had died and he could only miss her existence.

There was something rather odd that happened when an important person was suddenly gone from someone's life. It was similar to the sensation of waking up in an unfamiliar place. There's an eerie feeling of observing the area for a moment and questioning if there had been a mistake, as if someone had put the person in the wrong spot, but then realization swims up and reality has a visit. After that, there's only time to adjust to the new area with the hope of returning to the old one someday. Clearly, the main problem is there is never a return to the old place.

Shikamaru had to adapt to this place now, figuratively and literally. Maybe Ino will let me stay over more often, he thought, because I don't want to go home. Home involved a lot of pain. Everything there reminded him of Temari, and he could handle enough torment without being there. It was then that Shikamaru felt it again. The distinct perception he had felt the other day, the one pertaining to his awareness of suffering. He surveyed his mind to try to discern what it was, and it was agitating how distant and intangible it seemed. Every time he attempted to isolate it and thought about it directly, it seemed to dance away from him, as if it feared being caught.

After failing to figure it out several times, Shikamaru moved to his to-do list for the day. If thinking about his circumstances was just going to hurt, it was best to move as much as possible. It was what everybody else was doing.

After he had everything he brought with him, Shikamaru left Ino's apartment and exited the building. When he stepped outside, the rain poured upon him, and he relaxed underneath its malleable weight. He made his way through the quiet streets toward the western section of the village. As Shikamaru crossed through the streets, he stared into the dim windows of the structures around him. The buildings that had once housed individuals and families alike were now cold and dark like its inhabitants surely were by now.

Groups of three or four survivors were seen dispersed throughout the buildings, carrying more bodies of the dead and dying over to the hospital or gravesites. The survivors were doing a pretty decent job keeping the dead out of the village itself. That was thanks to Naruto's quick reaction and leadership skills to set up a form of organization during a time where it was critical.

When the outbreak had started, the Konoha's Orange Hokage had issued a crisis act to rally small teams to the necessary and important tasks. In every team, there was a designated leader and numbered followers. If the leader had grown ill or incapable of filling their duties, then the next numbered follower would step in and take over the position. Shikamaru had been the one to propose the simple plan to Naruto when it had happened and the blond had acted as if he had never thought of it. He probably did though, Shikamaru mused thoughtfully. The bastard probably made me think it was all my idea when he had already perfected it in his head.

The virus had been more extensive than they had thought, however, and leaders and entire teams had dropped substantially within the first week. Reacting with unbearable speed, the Nanadaime Hokage had created hundreds of clones to fulfill their roles. For a straight week and a half, Shikamaru and everybody else still healthy enough to notice witnessed numerous clones of their leader running around Konoha. Unfortunately, Naruto had never planned for his selfless act to showcase his agony as it did. Shikamaru recalled seeing the facial expressions of the clones as they helped; they had been brimming with grimaces of suffering and despair. There had been a desperation in the clones' faces that had made Shikamaru sick in the stomach. Naruto's precious people were all dying before his eyes, and not even the Child of the Prophecy could handle such a burden.

And then, just two days ago, the clones all disappeared. If ever there was a loss of hope for the survivors, it was knowing when their leader had succumbed to the pressure of it all. Before Hinata had been infected, Naruto's time and energy had been focused on the forefront of the outbreak, but afterwards had been different. He holed himself and Hinata in their house and all anybody ever saw were his clones.

Now we don't even see that much, Shikamaru thought grimly. It's been long enough. Hinata should be gone by now, and we need him.

He knew it sounded unbearably harsh, but it was true. Konoha and its surviving inhabitants would crumble without their Hokage. But before Shikamaru could take the time to find him, he had to speak to someone else who was managing a lot.

Shikamaru stood in front of the compound and knocked on the large door loudly. There was some rustling on the other side of the door, and then it opened.

Kiba Inuzuka looked like hell. At least, he was healthy, Shikamaru thought. Although, that wasn't entirely true either. There was a thick sheen of sweat on his brow, and his skin was paler than usual. The lack of sleep was evident too by the dark, grisly bags under his friend's eyes. His hair was usually messy by most standards, but today it looked worse than Akamaru's fur.

"Hey, Kiba," said Shikamaru.

Kiba didn't really greet his friend, instead he grunted and motioned for him to enter with his hand. He moved down the hall, and Shikamaru followed him silently. The compound was virtually empty, the extent of its occupants either deceased or out helping the cause. At the end of the hall, he found Kiba standing in the doorway, staring down at the bed on the other side of the room.

Shikamaru had already mentally prepared himself for the miserable sight. However, it still didn't make it any easier.

"Hi, Shino," Shikamaru said softly.

The deplorable figure of what used to be a great shinobi turned his head over to his friend and smiled. Despite all the horrible symptoms the virus brought, Shikamaru always marveled at how it made the teeth look: pearly white and untarnished. Akamaru was sleeping away in the corner. Thankfully, the virus only infected humans and that at least yielded some mercy.

"Hey, Shikamaru. It's good to see you." He coughed strongly into his hand, and Shikamaru could see the terrifying amount of blood to come out.

At the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw Kiba leaning against the doorway. He was looming there, as if he was only a spectator to the misery. Shikamaru supposed they all were now, merely watchers of the inevitable.

"How are you feeling?" Shikamaru asked as he approached the bedside of his good friend.

Shino shook his head slowly. "Like shit." He smiled again.

Somehow, Shikamaru felt numb to that, almost apathetic. They were all in pain now, and the ones experiencing it physically weren't really experiencing anything. But that wasn't fair, Shikamaru knew that. Shino had already lost his entire clan to the disease. His wasn't the only family line that had been completely eradicated in the village either, and Shikamaru wished that fact could correlate with the virus' methods, but it was just another worthless coincidence according to their Head Physician.

Shikamaru managed to show some concern for his friend. "I'm sorry to hear that, Shino. Anything I can do for you?"

"If there was, I wouldn't be asking you to do it. You've got enough on your plate, my friend."

"Not enough to not come see you." Six days, Shikamaru thought. It only took six days for the virus to reach its end, and Shino had been diagnosed with it five days ago.

"Thanks, Shikamaru. I— I'm going to miss you."

"Me too."

Shino started to cough again, and Kiba came over to him with a glass of water. He took it and drank. Finally, Kiba turned to Shikamaru and said: "Did you hear the news about Hinata?"

Shikamaru was suddenly trying to verify his math. "No, I'm guessing she's gone too?"

Kiba nodded, and Shikamaru saw a flash of anger cross through his eyes. It wasn't much but it was something, he supposed. His friend still had some life in him, and that was decreasing in supply lately. "Yeah, she died yesterday," said Kiba.

Shino finished his water and handed the glass back to Kiba. "You know, if you had told me two weeks ago that Kiba was going to outlive me _and_ Hinata, I would have laughed in your face." Shino wasn't smiling anymore, and Shikamaru believed that made it worse. "It's too bad I'm not laughing."

Kiba's rage came back, this time stronger. He smashed his fist against the nightstand, and the wood splintered under the impact. Kiba could have easily destroyed the object, so it was evident he was still holding himself back. Although, not by much. "It's not fucking fair! We're goddamn shinobi! We've survived all the shit the world threw at us for our whole lives! We fought a fucking goddess, and her little shit followers that didn't even know they were following her! We won in the end, even when all the odds were against us." His voice lowered and sounded weak, scared. "And now— now we're dying off…by some damn virus."

Shino's hand rose in the air. Kiba noticed it and grabbed it. He clutched his dying friend's hand and started to weep. Shikamaru had never known Kiba to cry. He recalled seeing it when the Sandaime had passed and that was about it. "Please," Kiba pleaded. "I can't lose you too. I'll be the only one left if you go, Shino. Team 8 will be just me and Akamaru. You all were my partners, my teammates, my _friends._ " There was a great sorrowful tone etched into his speech that made Shikamaru's heart swell. Kurenai had also perished a few days prior, so Kiba's words true.

Shikamaru closed his eyes; he didn't want to see Kiba's eyes looking at Shino like that. It reminded him of a child begging not to say good-bye to their parents when they left home for work. It was just so pathetic. Shino squeezed his friend's hand. "It's all right, Kiba. I've accepted it already. I think I can welcome death now. It's really not all that bad when you think about it. It's kind of like leaving for a trip and you look forward to where you're going so much that you neglect the journey. Maybe that's what life is, Kiba. Maybe it's just a journey and death is the destination. Doesn't that sound nice, Kiba?"

Kiba was bawling now, and Shikamaru had to force himself not to cover his ears. A grown man should not have been making the noises Kiba was making then, and it tore the Nara apart to hear them. "It does, Shino! But please! Don't go!"

Shino's eyes were closing slowly. "It's fine. I'm just going to take a nap. I'll wake up later and then we can play with Akamaru again, Kiba. Hinata can join us if you'd like. Doesn't that sound nice…" Shino drifted off then, and Kiba stopped crying.

Kiba's eyes were wide, and he stood up to look at Shikamaru. "He just went to sleep, right?"

Shikamaru turned to face the door. "Yeah, he'll wake up soon. I'll be going now, Kiba. Come stop by later, OK? We could use your help."

Kiba didn't say anything and continued to stare at Shino's motionless body, Akamaru's quiet snoring emitting from his corner.

Shikamaru didn't look back as he exited the compound. He had done his math wrong, and he didn't want to be around when his friend didn't wake up.

* * *

Anko threw another punch that shattered through the log and scattered thousands of splinters everywhere. She was coping with her grief as only she knew how, by pushing her body to the brink of exhaustion. Like everybody else in the village, she was keeping her mind busy through stimulation.

She was training by herself on the side of one of the training grounds. Anybody in their right mind would have told her that training out in the rain was a bad idea. She could catch a cold, but she didn't care today. Her clothes could fall off from being so wet, and she still wouldn't care. Luckily, the area was one of the few that had not yet been utilized as a means of a burial site. She was thankful, but more than that, she was pissed.

She knew the human psyche pretty well, (as an interrogator, it certainly helped knowing a bit) and she was aware of how the brain processed intense amounts of grief. It did it through emotional responses, and it also contradicted itself by distracting itself from those responses. When the emotion gets to be too big, the brain tries to find an outlet. So, Anko was using her anger to train as a means of coping with the loss of her best friend.

Simple, she thought, but painful. There was no end to it, really. She was experiencing the forlorn quality of the mind as it tried to adapt. On the bright side, she was learning a shit ton about herself and others. It was amazing how different people handled grief. She had watched the way certain survivors would mutter to themselves like they were insane or how others would just cry and cry until there was nothing left. A couple individuals had even taken their lives, but even Anko didn't look deeply into that.

Anko took a smaller log from the pile she had created earlier that morning and placed it on a nearby stump. She had been working on standard _taijutsu_ technique for the last hour, but now she was going to hone her precision. She raised her hand and turned it so the muscle of the side of her hand was facing down. She chopped her hand down and split the wood down evenly to the bottom with one strike. The wood was spongy and sodden because of the rain. She repeated this until her hand started to bleed.

She bit her lip in pain and held her bloody hand where the skin broke. "Shit," she mumbled under her breath.

"You should get that cleaned," said a chilled voice behind her.

Anko looked behind her and smirked. "Kakashi Hatake. That's what the rain's for, ya know. What are you doing out here, anyways? You going to tell me that I'll catch a cold?"

The Rokudaime shrugged. He had discarded his forehead protector after retiring and was wearing a simple back shirt with the Uzumaki spiral sewn onto his sleeve. "No, I just heard a lot of grunting in this direction, so I came to investigate."

Normally, Anko would have jumped on the obvious sexual insinuation lying underneath that comment, but she wasn't in the mood. She was positive nobody else was either. "Well, it's just me," she said. "Not a big deal."

It was unlikely to ever see Kakashi not amused at seeing Anko being upset about something, but the situation was a little different this time around. His eyes darted to her wounded hand again. "Let me see that." He pulled out some standard bandages from his back pocket.

Anko held out her hand gingerly and allowed Kakashi to dress the wound. He put some ointment on it, shielded it from the rain with his hand, and then wrapped it quickly in the bandages. "We need to all be careful, you see," his voice sounded like it was far away, as if he was speaking to a crowd. "There's not a lot of us left."

Anko wanted to be difficult. She wanted to scream that the bandages would just get wet out here and tell him how stupid he was. She wanted to be rebellious and throw the bandages off with an aloof style screaming the whole: 'I can take care of myself' tactic. But that would be dishonest of her to do so. Because what she really wanted, was to feel like everything would work out. The sense of not knowing what would happen tomorrow was terrifying, and she couldn't stand it anymore. Watching Kurenai and her infant daughter, Mirai, die in front of her had frightened her to the core.

Why did it have to take all the goddamn kids with it? That question she had asked herself would probably never be answered, just like so many others. Every child under the age of ten was completely susceptible to the virus. They were all gone, every single last one, and that had torn into Konoha's heart the most.

Anko was still recalling Mirai's still corpse in her arms when Kakashi tenderly reached out to hold her good hand. "Do you honestly think we'll make it through this, Anko?"

The sincerity in the ex-Hokage's eyes was new for her. She had seen him get emotional and sad in years prior, but never towards her. "Why are you asking me?" she asked.

"I trust your input."

Anko's eyes roamed across the wide field around them. The heavy rain was starting to lessen a little bit, but she knew it would pick up again soon. "I guess. I doubt our knuckleheaded Hokage will just give up any time soon. As long as we're alive, we should be fine."

Kakashi nodded as if he had learned something new just then. There's no way he did, she thought. The guy was too brilliant for his own damn good. "I couldn't agree more. Would you like to accompany me for some breakfast?"

The rain kept pouring around them. "Again, why are you asking me?" She scanned him skeptically.

For the first time since she could remember, Kakashi was vulnerable with her. "Because I'm lonely," he stated simply.

After her initial shock wore off, Anko went with Kakashi to grab a meal. And just for a little while, they forgot about their troubles.

* * *

Naruto had been wrong when he thought he couldn't handle any more heartache. When his father figure died before his very eyes, he had lost all his equanimity. The fact that he had kept his cool for that long was a marvel in itself.

Konoha's Orange Hokage stirred from his sleep that morning to find a warm body dozing away next to him. His very first thought was that she was warmer than Hinata. He couldn't help but be amused at the interesting development of their interaction. Ten years ago, he would have been chomping at the bit for such an opportunity to sleep next to Sakura. Her front was facing him, and he relished the peaceful expression she gave when she was asleep, lost in a dream world where pain couldn't hurt her. After seeing her having to endure such hardship over the past two weeks, he wouldn't have been able to imagine such a sharp contrast from her stressed features.

The muscles in her face were relaxed, calm. The purity and innocence she was emanating from a worn-out soul almost made Naruto want to tear up. Hinata had typically slept in a similar manner, but it was because he had always known Sakura to never really look like she did now that made the moment feel so rare and precious to him. In a time of utter chaos and dissolution, this was a treasured second, and he yearned for it to never end. He didn't want to go back out there, back where the devastation hung over the head like a noose ready to strangle. Her apartment was a totally different world, cut off from the rest of the woe outside of it.

After Naruto's moment of stillness and recollection, Sakura finally opened her eyes. When she saw him, she smiled weakly. She feels it too, he thought. She feels the small escape from reality too.

"Good morning, Naruto," she whispered.

"Good morning, Sakura- _chan_." Her smile broadened at hearing her signature honorific from him.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Actually, yeah. I was afraid I would be cursed with nightmares last night, but I had a nice dreamless sleep."

The pink-haired doctor nuzzled her head into her pillow. "I'm glad to hear that. It's nice having someone to wake up to. Is this what marriage is like?"

Naruto could feel his heartbeat quicken involuntarily. No, he told himself. I don't have the strength to do something like this with her, not now. And she doesn't either. They were just two broken souls trying to find some comfort, some attempt to heal a place that would only bring more hurt. "A little," he said finally.

Sakura sat up from the bed and stared out the bedroom window, glazed with morning rain. Before his very eyes, Naruto saw her face morph into what he had been familiar with; her stern, sharpened visage was back. "We should probably get going."

Naruto accepted that. They had a lot to do.

They left her apartment shortly after that and trudged over to the hospital. It didn't take long for the rain to douse their clothes. As they approached their destination, Naruto took note of his austere surroundings. There was a stark element to the village streets. If someone deleted the dreadful circumstances, Konoha would have simply appeared as a quiet village with nothing but silent footsteps and careful, blank windows to tell a doleful story to some unknown passerby. Every now and then, the illusion was ruined when a survivor group moved past them, composed of shinobi and civilians respectively. They always looked at Naruto with a mixture of concern and hope. He waved his hand and smiled politely at them. He wished he was wearing his white Hokage cape and headpiece to help imbue some encouragement in his citizens, but he supposed his regular orange shirt with black stripes was enough to augment his presence.

Sakura watched Naruto carefully when the teams would pass the two of them. His demeanor was dignified and leader-like to the point of intriguing her. She wondered if his mental health was in the right place and surmised that it probably wasn't. She couldn't blame him, none of them were in a healthy state right now. Despite her disquietude, she felt unnerved by his recent actions.

She didn't want to rock the boat, she really didn't. But if she didn't say something, then no one would. "You're the reason they're still moving, you know," she announced calmly.

Naruto felt his bandaged hand clench. "I had an idea about it, yeah."

Sakura stopped in her tracks and glared at him, the rain falling on both of them without a care. "I don't think you do, Naruto. Do you know what they're going through right now?"

Naruto frowned. He knew she wasn't trying to be accusatory, but her insensitivity angered him. "I think I have a pretty good idea."

He saw her jaw snap for a second. "If you weren't around, they would have fallen into despair weeks ago! They can only find the strength to continue because you're here. You're their Hokage, and they need you."

Naruto brought up his left arm and showed her his open palm, as if showing her he was unarmed. "Why are you yelling at me? Do you really think I don't have a clue about how they feel? Am I not suffering too? I know that they look up to me. I know my duty, Sakura- _chan_. I'm not going to neglect it just because I'm hurting."

"But you have been, Naruto!" she exclaimed.

Naruto's eyes broadened, and his words got caught behind his tongue. He didn't know what to say to that.

"You've been holed up in your house for the past week to take care of your wife, _knowing_ she was going to die. You could have been out here helping everyone, showing them that you were there for them and that they could believe in the hope you naturally bring with you." Sakura's throat felt hot and wet as her emotion rose. These were honest feelings and choking them out was turning out to be more arduous than she had planned. "All we saw were your clones which only made it worse! It made you feel distant and people were suffering because of it. They needed you, Naruto. They needed their hero. _I_ needed you!"

Naruto was speechless. He couldn't consider this sudden revelation of mistakes. The truth was trying to thrust itself upon him too rapidly, and he could only gaze at it, dumbfounded. He needed to process all of this, and now was not the time. "Ca—Can we continue this conversation later?" Her emerald eyes drilled into him, the rain plastering her pink locks to her face. But he stood firm. "Please."

She released him from her gaze and advanced steadily in the direction of the hospital without another word. He swallowed and followed behind her, leaving the still streets to mourn its own losses for a change.

They reached the hospital shortly after that and when they stepped into the main lobby, they found chaos. The other night had been relatively calm because of the change between shifts of workers and team members, (plus most of the patients had been sleeping then) but the early morning was frantic with people running around. The whole building seemed to shake under the screams of torment and instability within its walls.

Naruto glanced at Sakura who appeared surprisingly composed in the vortex of dismay. She was quickly surrounded by medical assistants and other doctors, all asking questions and verifying reports with her. She moved the small band away from the lobby and left Naruto to dwell on the reality he was partly responsible for. Some of the people that passed by him recognized him and acknowledged him, but most were far too occupied to really notice.

For a stiff second, Naruto stood there and gazed upon the havoc of a terrible disaster. He had been so occupied with Hinata that so many people had left him without his attention. Sakura had updated him for the most part, but she had probably left some of them out…

Suddenly, a familiar face emerged out of the throng of people. Naruto greeted her with a grateful smile.

"Hi, Naruto," Ino said smoothly. She was holding a clipboard and wearing the same kind of coat Sakura wore. Although, Sakura had a red stripe around the red sleeve of hers, signifying her status as the Head Physician. "Can you come with me, please?"

There was a subtle inflection in her tone that worried Naruto, but he agreed without questioning it. He followed her down the north wing of the building and up a flight of stairs. They passed more people rushing about with bandages covering their bruised flesh and bloody mouths. The medical staff still able to help were busy moving patients and other able-bodied citizens over to designated areas. Naruto and Ino stepped right past them without being given a second glance. At the end of the second story hallway, Ino stopped before a closed door.

Ino pivoted on her heel and faced him. "There's not enough rooms in this building to accommodate the infected," she said matter-of-factly. Naruto quirked an eyebrow in puzzlement, but allowed her to continue. "Because of the lack of manpower and space, we're supposed to exceed the person limit for each room. Obviously, that's against the regulations, but the people in charge of that are so understaffed themselves that they can barely function as a unit. Anyways, I'm breaking a lot of violations by keeping him in there, but it's…" She paused and looked down at the clipboard she was holding. Her eyes reminded Naruto of foggy windows trying to open to the blue sky. "He needs to see you, Naruto." She hastily grabbed the door handle and opened it.

Naruto wanted to ask who the hell she was talking about but when he peered into the small hospital room, his breath hitched. The room was meant to hold at least two hospital beds, but there was only one propped up against the wall and the man lying there— tubes connected to his orifices and bandages wrapped all around his body— was Iruka Umino.

For a terrible moment, Naruto just stood there in the doorway. His eyes beginning to water at seeing one of the greatest men he had ever known reduced to such a miserable state. At one point in his life, (except for the Sandaime) Iruka had been all he had.

Iruka must have heard the door opening because he turned his head gently over to the doorway. A tiny smile broke across his features, and he beckoned to his old student. "Naruto. It's good to see you."

Slowly, painfully, Naruto stepped towards the man who had taken the place of his father at his wedding. The man who had taught him all he knew and had loved him unconditionally. "Iruka _-sensei_ ," he muttered. "Not you. Please, not you."

This was what Sakura was talking about, he realized. He had neglected his surroundings by focusing too much on Hinata. He never knew Iruka had even been infected. Hell, he hadn't even _thought_ of the man in the last few weeks. Naruto turned to Ino. She had closed the door and was standing next to it. "How long has he been here?" he asked.

Ino's face was placid. "Six days."

" _Fuck_ ," he spat impulsively.

At that outburst, Iruka's eyes squeezed in irritation. "Naruto, I taught you better than that. There's no need for vulgarity here." He smiled then, and the blond Hokage could feel all restraints cracking under the weight of his emotion.

"I'm sorry, Iruka- _sensei_. I just—" Words were difficult. He was stammering them out now, and they were scraping against his throat, like metal across sand. Teardrops cascaded down his face. He had been handling the same pain he had felt when Jiraiya had died for weeks now, but it was the same horrifying sensation over and over again. They were stacking on top of each other, and now this was what would break him. Hinata and their baby's deaths had almost done it, but this was it.

He was leaning against the hospital bed when he felt Iruka's hand on top of his own. "It's alright, Naruto. You don't need to say anything. Just let me talk." Naruto nodded and wiped his eyes with his bandaged prosthetic arm.

"Naruto, I'm so glad you could make it. I asked Ino to find you, and you both returned far quicker than I thought you would. Isn't that wonderful?" He grinned, straining himself to do so. "Look at you, Naruto. You've grown into such a wonderful man. You look more and more like the Yondaime every day, and you definitely surpassed him long ago. He would be so proud of you. Kushina too. Oh, Naruto, you've endured so much, haven't you? Don't cry now, you've done enough of that, I'm sure. You're the Hokage now, so you need to persevere for everybody. Konoha may be wounded right now, but it's not dead. It still has life, and you need to take care of it as best you can. I've seen your capabilities, Naruto. You can take this pain and use it. I know you can. You've done it before when you felt so alone. You're not alone now, Naruto. You have so many friends with you still, looking to you for guidance. Don't give in, Naruto. Jiraiya died for you to find that balance. You did, and now it's being shifted again. It's going to be hard, Naruto. I don't have a lot of time left, but I need you to know that I'm so proud of you. You're so strong, and I'm so glad you were in my life."

The weeping was a torrent now and Naruto tried not to wail, his teeth gnashing together to not allow his anguish to thrash out. Iruka patted his hand softly. "The Hokage. Back when you were shouting you'd be that as a kid, I don't think even I believed it then. But when I started to actually believe it, I realized that was what made you so strong. You cared and believed more than anyone else, and it's when you directed that care towards others that they acknowledged you. You made them stronger, and now they all believe in you." He coughed loudly then. Blood dripped down his chin, and Naruto tried to hear his words. He would cherish them until his last breath. "It's not going to get easier, you know that. No one saw this coming, but that's fine because we shouldn't be able to predict such disaster. We shouldn't have to witness pain before we even feel it. Take care of them, Naruto. All of them. I'm so glad you were my student and my friend." His smile was so bright that Naruto couldn't look at it directly. The water in his eyes wasn't helping either. "Even if I'm only ten years older than you, I still always considered you to be…my son."

The air drifted around them and caressed their souls. Ino hid her tear-stricken face behind a hand even when the door opened behind her, and her friend stepped in.

Iruka's final words seemed to echo around the room, and Naruto heard them. For years to come, he would never forget them. "I love you, Naruto. From the day I met you, I always did."

And with that, Iruka's eyes closed for the last time, and there was nothing but a shell left.

Naruto let go of his hand and stood there expressionless, observing the corpse of his former teacher. Sakura stepped up next to him, her hand clasping his shoulder. For a long time, Naruto said nothing and then he turned to her: "You gave him this room, huh?"

"Yes," she said. "Ino thought it was her idea, but I pulled the strings to make it happen." She could see her blonde friend's feet shift behind them. "I loved Iruka- _sensei_ too, you know. After everything he did for us, this was the least I could do."

"You were right, Sakura _-chan_ ," Naruto mumbled.

Sakura felt guilt rush into her heart. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I should have handled that better. There was no need to act the way I did."

He hugged her then, and she allowed it. She rested her head into his chest, and he cried again. He could wail now. "It hurts so much, Sakura- _chan_! Being the Hokage shouldn't hurt this much!"

Sakura felt her own tears spill out. "Being human hurts, Naruto. To love means to feel pain. It always has and always will. Just feel it. Right now, let's just feel it."

And they did. Naruto could grit his teeth and push later. But for this moment, he could allow himself to sit by the abyss and gaze down into it. There was no solace down there, but he just wanted to look because looking was a comfort.

He cried there with Sakura even after Ino left. And as they mourned not just Iruka's demise but everyone's, the rain fell outside.

It made everything clean.

* * *

 **I spent the entire day working on this for you guys. I know I could have taken a break for a few days and took some time, but I was just so energized by this story. My mind wouldn't let me do anything else. It's really fun to write because there's so much to do with it. I don't feel constricted by it, and it's really gratifying for me. I'll take a break now, for sure, but the next update shouldn't be too far down the road.**

 **I forgot to mention this last chapter, but a lot of what happened before the events of this story is not exactly canon. You might have noticed, but I've changed a few little things about the marriages and couples in the story. Like I'm not going to even bother with the whole Tamaki/Kiba thing and other little tidbits like that. Nothing major, though. Everything big should follow the manga quite nicely.**

 **Anyways, thanks for the overwhelming support and encouragement from everybody. I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **-CM**


	3. Parallel Strings

Chapter 3: Parallel Strings

" _Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door —  
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,  
With such name as "Nevermore."_

 _-Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven_

* * *

Nature heeded no woe, and this was indicated by its splendor and loveliness even during the most depressing of times. The day after the rain stopped, the sun illuminated the glorious trees and wildlife underneath it. Small pools of rainwater gathered beneath the dripping leaves and branches. The plant life had welcomed the refreshing drink and was showing its gratitude by displaying beautiful shades of colors in the flowers; sun-kissed blue and merry gold petals, accentuated by sagely green leaves, budded brightly in the midday sunshine. Little animals scurried about on the forest floor, unaware of the pain in the air.

The pain was palpable to those who knew of reason, and none took the time to admire the beautiful day. For them, it might as well have been raining.

Kakashi wiped his brow with the sleeve of his arm. He watched Genma lifting a huge box over to the large pile that had grown significantly in the last hour.

Genma placed the box on top of some other containers with relative ease. He took a deep breath and said to Kakashi: "We almost done yet?"

The previous Hokage shook his head. "Not yet. We've still got to move all of these boxes over to the center of the village." Genma nodded and got to work. Normally, Kakashi would have expected his old friend to groan and complain (maybe even crack a joke) about all the work. But since his old _sensei_ , Chōza, and his old teammate, Guy, had passed away on the same day, Genma had been a little different than usual.

Kakashi couldn't blame him. Guy's death had really yanked around his heart as well. That old rival of his had been an intimate part of his life. He was his best friend, if Kakashi was to say it aloud. The loneliness of losing Guy had settled down in his soul, and while his meal with Anko the other day had helped with that, he still felt weakened.

When Naruto had personally asked him to lead one of the moving teams, Kakashi had been reluctant. However, his old student always knew how to coax him into being responsible. At least, he wasn't on retrieval duty. Those teams had to move all the bodies.

His team's job was simply to try to salvage as many belongings of the deceased as possible. They were tasked with searching the houses of the deceased and taking all the belongings including furniture, food, personal items, and anything else that was useful over to the center of town where the organizing teams could consolidate all of it.

Considering there were only four other teams tasked with moving belongings, there was plenty to do. His other two teammates, Iwashi and a young female _genin_ who had graduated from the academy barely a month ago, were moving a large couch and finding it difficult to get it through the doorway.

Kakashi sighed and approached them. "Turn it on its side, guys."

Iwashi blinked and did as he was told. The couch's large back slipped through the door and Iwashi looked at Kakashi with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Kakashi. Guess we're a little out of it."

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "We all are. Can you three start taking all of these things over to the center of town? Use some containment scrolls if you need them, but our supply's low so only use them on the big stuff."

His three teammates agreed and began their onerous task. Kakashi observed them calmly. They're spent, he thought. Just like me, they want to just rest and grieve their hearts out. I should be enjoying my retirement right about now, but we're here. And we're just trying to keep our heads above water.

Kakashi was shaken out of his thoughts by the young _genin_. "Um, Rokudaime- _sama_ —"

Kakashi quickly surveyed the young girl. Her eyes were half-closed and puffy around the edges. Her footing was sloppy and skittish, and her head tilted slowly in asymmetrical arcs. "Please, Mura. Just call me Kakashi. I'm not the Hokage anymore." Frankly, he felt there was no more need for any titles. Except for Naruto, he mused, if anyone ever earned anything in their lives, that boy deserved his.

The young girl, Mura, nodded slowly. Normally, Kakashi could see her being a classic, nervous girl with a lot of ambition in her heart. But today (and probably for a long time) she just looked like an exhausted little girl. "OK, Kakashi then," she muttered. "We actually have less of the scrolls than we thought. Can I go over to the supply depot to get some more?"

Kakashi softened his eyes in concern. The poor girl appeared as if she was going to collapse. In some odd way, she reminded him of when Sakura had been a _genin_ back when the world didn't seem so foreign. "Don't worry about it, Mura," he said softly. "In fact, you should go home and get some rest."

She didn't even try to fight the suggestion with standard modesty. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." With that, she left without another word.

Genma watched her walk away from them. "I was just going to ask if you still wanted her around. The poor thing barely heard a word I said to her."

Kakashi's brow creased thoughtfully. "Yes, well, it's for the best. She's alive and that's all that matters. We need as much youth as we can get." He could practically hear Guy shouting something similar.

Genma held the _senbon_ he always had placed in his mouth in between his fingers. "Do you want me to go get the scrolls?"

"No, I'll take care of it. You stay here with Iwashi and move what you can in the meantime." Kakashi folded his hands into his pant pockets and turned away.

The supply depot was set up under the Hokage Monument and that was the direction the ex-Hokage was heading towards. As he shuffled his feet along, Kakashi wondered what the future would hold. With such a loss of citizens, Konoha was barely able to stand up. Naruto's organization and quick leadership skills were helping to make matters somewhat favorable, but how long was that going to last? These people were only holding on out of sheer will. Konoha prided itself on its youth and the growth of the next generation. But they were gone now, an entire generation wiped out by misfortune, and it affected everybody. The survivors were holding out because they knew they had to. They were clasping some intangible hope and running with it to the best of their abilities. All of that was more than enough, Kakashi surmised. But the next few weeks would be critical for decision-making, and he knew a certain blond was the one who everybody counted on.

When Kakashi reached the depot, (which was simply a glorified tent with crates and boxes stacked underneath it and a small desk at the front) he found himself to be pleasantly surprised with who he found there. There were a couple _chūnin_ running around carrying boxes to and from the tent, but the person managing everything stuck out.

Anko smirked at him as he approached the desk she was standing behind. "Well, now," she said. "As much as I'd love to believe you came all the way over here just for me, I'm pretty sure you have a different reason."

Kakashi scratched his head. "Actually, I had no idea you were stationed here. I didn't think you would volunteer for the supply unit."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well, Tenten was the one who originally took this gig, but I'm filling in for her today. She said she had to make an errand."

"And what were you doing prior to this?" he inquired.

Anko kept her voice level. "Punching stuff. I'd still be doing it, but I figured being productive would probably be the better idea."

Kakashi actually felt himself smiling at that. "Glad you could manage that," he said, amused. It was almost like things were back to normal. They were being a little carefree, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. Better yet, it felt like they were _finally_ breathing again.

Anko's smile was small, but it was perfect. To Kakashi, it was perfect. "So, if you're not here for me, then why are you here?"

"I came to pick up some more containment scrolls. We need to move some stuff and our supply's low."

Anko frowned. "Well, that seems to be the case all around. There was a fire last night near one of our caches, so we lost a lot of supplies from that."

Kakashi set his jaw. "I see."

"But I think I can manage to get you a couple."

Kakashi eyed her suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

He was expecting a feral smile from her, or at least a playful glint in her eye, but there was only sincerity in her features. "There is none. I can spare a couple for you. Consider it a thank you for breakfast the other day."

"Ah, so you enjoyed it?"

Her smile was genuine, and Kakashi decided he had been mistaken earlier; _this_ smile was perfect. "It's exactly what I needed." She reached down to a box underneath the desk and grabbed a parcel of scrolls. She handed the parcel to him. "Here. Let me know if you need anything else."

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you, Anko. I'll take you up on that soon." Anko watched his retreating back as he disappeared from view.

For the first time since the outbreak had occurred, Kakashi walked away with a spring in his step.

* * *

The beautiful day was not completely lost on some of the inhabitants of the village. Kiba appreciated its warmth, if only marginally so. He had positioned himself on top of one of the roofs of his clan's compound.

He was staring up at the clouds with a wistful expression, Akamaru dozing away next to him. Kiba lied on his back there for most of the morning. He still had that same wistful expression when Tenten found him up there.

When she approached him, Kiba's eyes darted over to her. Her hair was what caught his attention first; she had abandoned the standard Chinese-style buns and allowed her hair to hang free. Her white dress seemed to glow in the sunlight, and a slight breeze tossed her long hair to the side. "How long you been up here?" she asked calmly.

Kiba shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand. "Long enough. What're you doing here?"

She stooped down and sat next to him. "I heard about Shino and Hinata. I needed to take a break from my duties, so I figured that coming by to comfort you would benefit the both of us."

Kiba blinked. "Well, I appreciate that, I guess. What makes you think I need comforting, though?"

He was expecting some jab or witty comment from the kunoichi. Their relationship had been slightly developed with a few careful tips here and there to elicit some misaligned yet safe friendship. In recent years, the bond had strengthened to scattered meals and talks, but they were fairly social people and did that with most of their friends. Despite this odd push, Kiba didn't fight it. Truthfully, he needed all the company he could get.

What Tenten did actually say back made him ponder. "Because both our teams are gone," she answered. She was gazing off toward the forested horizon, observing the outline of the distant mountains.

Kiba's face could have been mistaken with boredom. "Oh, yeah. We're alone now, I guess."

Tenten shook her head slowly. "Not completely. Don't make it sound so sad. We survived."

"Why do you think that is?" he asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we still have a purpose."

Kiba snorted. "Do you really believe that?"

She shrugged. "It's better than nothing, I suppose."

Kiba's eyes narrowed as a long cloud passed under the sun and brought a little shade to the world below. "Is that all we do anymore? Just hope in something positive?"

Tenten brought her knees up to her face and placed her face in between them. "Yeah, it's a method to keep us all sane."

He frowned and the soothing edge he had been working on was melting away. "Do we have to be sane?"

"No, but we have to be something."

"Well, we're alive. Thank the fucking heavens for that!" His face felt contorted, and his anger was flaring again. At least, he surmised, he was letting some of it out. It had been festering for too long now.

Tenten could sense his ire, but she didn't comment on it. She just stared down at her feet and gently replied: "I'm just glad we can relate with each other."

Kiba sat up and looked at her directly. Her expression was pensive and deeper than any he had ever seen her unveil. It somehow assuaged him, but he still had more to get out. "I guess you're right about that. But what does it matter if we can relate with each other?" Tenten shifted her eyes to him, shooting him an incredulous look. Kiba could feel his throat swell a little. "I mean, is there anything wrong with just talking about what's going on? I can listen to your problems without having to have gone through something similar, right? It doesn't need to be some sympathy thing either. It can just be real."

To his astonishment, Tenten smiled softly at him. "Yes, it can be. I guess people just find it easier to talk with people who they think can understand what they're saying."

"Bullshit!" he cursed. She was not unfazed by the outburst. "I can understand everything you're going through, and that's not because I'm going through it too! Damn it, people are more complicated than that!"

Tenten seemed interested in his words and leaned forward. Her voice was as soft as the clouds drifting away above them. "I agree with you. But then why do people withhold themselves so much?"

"Because they don't want to be real," he said immediately. Her smooth tone was making him come down an octave, but he was still furious. He couldn't direct his rage anywhere and that just made it worse. "They're scared. They're so scared of what they'll say and what people will think. And they're right because people are cruel. They look at a man like he's insane when he breaks down. But because of this outbreak, it's different now. Hell, it's almost fucking _normal_ to lose your shit now. How is that fair? How can that be OK now? Because everybody's doing it? Doesn't that ruin the fucking point?" Kiba was starting to scream again, and Akamaru stirred from his slumber, raising his head slowly to look at his friend with bleary, black eyes. "Does that make it all OK? I don't think it does. They're just all so scared." His tone dropped again, and he could only look angrily at the roof shingles.

A lock of Tenten's hair escaped and brushed against her cheek. Kiba looked up and saw her. He had never seen such a pristine image before. Her voice was low and still. "Who's scared, Kiba?"

The wind picked up then. It rushed forward and carried the air farther than it could carry itself. It blew past the two shinobi lying on that simple roof, stirring their skin and thoughts. Kiba sensed the breeze and looked at his hand. He had to follow his own rules now. "Me," he stated quietly. Even with the noise of the gusting wind, Tenten heard him clearly. "I'm scared, Tenten. So scared."

She placed her hand over his. "I am too and that's alright. Fear isn't really all that bad, I think."

Kiba let out a small laugh. He didn't cry, no, but he felt like he wanted to. "At least it keeps you company."

Tenten's smile was genuine and when Kiba saw it, the wind slowed. "Yes, it does," she agreed.

They sat there on the roof until sunset, talking about nothing and everything.

* * *

"Everything alright?" Sakura asked from the other side of the heavy doors.

Naruto looked up from the papers on his desk and saw her from across his office. He smiled tenderly at her. "Yeah, come on in, Sakura. I'm just making sure this paperwork gets done today." When he had seen Tsunade behind a mountain of paperwork back in the day, he had relished the idea of being on the other side of it. Now that he actually was the Hokage, he realized why she had been complaining.

Sakura stepped in and closed the doors behind her. "The teams seem to be in order out there, Naruto. Good job with that."

Naruto gave her a polite smile. "Thanks. I went out there earlier to give direction to the team leaders. Everything's fine for now, I suppose. How are the patients?"

Her eyes carried no light in them. "They're decreasing."

In one way, that was good. It meant fewer people were being infected, but on the other hand… "How's your medical staff?"

She approached his desk and stood in front of it. She was still unused to seeing him in the spot where Kakashi had occupied for the last several years, but she liked it. She enjoyed seeing her best friend reach his dream. If only a nightmare had not come to ruin it. "They're holding up. I don't deserve any of them, I swear. They're the hardest workers I could ever ask for." Her smile was weak, and Naruto knew why.

"I'm glad you have them, then."

"Yeah, me too." _I used to have more._ That's what she wanted to add. She couldn't say that, though. It wouldn't be good for him.

"So, why are you here?" Naruto asked.

Her posture straightened, and she nodded. "Right. I came to give you a status report on the virus research. Shizune would be here to make the report herself, but she got really serious when she made the discovery. I don't think she'll be going home tonight."

Naruto leaned forward. "What is it?"

"She's managed to isolate the virus to the point of making observations on it. We don't know too much right now, but she was able to quickly realize how great the virus' mutation cycle is?" When she got the confused look from Naruto, she could feel ancient amusement lift in her heart. She had seen that expression many times back when the world was warmer. The man may have been a brilliant fighter and one of the strongest individuals on the planet, but he was still Naruto. "You know how we give flu shots out every year?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, that's because viruses mutate. They can change themselves so much that within a few months they could potentially be something else entirely. The flu virus mutates a lot, so we need to analyze its most recent nature and make your body aware of it through a shot. Of course, no matter how much the flu virus mutates, it still hasn't _killed._ Well, there's other kinds of viruses out there, Naruto. And this one changes very quickly. It's become the single most destructive disease in all of human history."

Naruto inhaled all of that information and tried to digest it. His eyes flicked around his desk. "Do we know why we happen to be immune to it?

Sakura shook her head. "Not yet. Shizune hasn't managed to figure out the layout of the virus. She knows it specifically targets something that we don't have. But that's where her current knowledge ends, I'm afraid."

Naruto nodded and leaned into his chair. "Well, I guess all we can do now is trust in her."

"Yeah, that sounds good." She paused for a moment. "It's something to hope in, I guess."

Naruto's eyelids lowered in concern. "Sakura, don't talk like that. We can only look at this as a step to make. There's nothing we can do about the steps already taken."

Sakura rubbed her arm tenderly. "You're right."

"Maybe you should go home and get some rest, Sakura." His eyes took in the tottering of her stance; she looked like she was about to break.

She laughed thinly. "Is that how we're going to look out for each other now? Just keep mentioning how tired we are and how much sleep we need to have?" A morphed, half-amused grin was formed across her lips. "Because honestly, I'm getting real sick of it, Naruto. It's like we're just trying to keep ourselves alive and be mindful of another and it just _reeks_. It reeks like a disgusting form of false modesty and care when everything's just going to shit."

Naruto placed both hands on his desk and stood up. He searched for whatever pain was there on her, and he found too much. "Sakura, are you alright?"

She didn't look at him. She kept her vision on the windows. "No, I don't think so. I can't keep living like this, Naruto. It's destroying me. It's like I'm being pulled apart on all levels and there's nothing we can do but keep pushing along. All of the awful cases every day, all the children we've lost, and the lack of people to help just keeps chipping away at me."

The anxiety and stress had been hard on her. That was clear to him now. She had been trying to hold it all together like she always did. She had done something similar after Sasuke left, and she had tried to bottle it all up for the benefit of others and herself. It had worked too, for a while. But this was different. No human could be expected to shoulder such suffering even for a second. But she was doing it. She was doing it for all her patients, her friends, for him. She was so unbelievably strong, and he could only marvel at the amount of courage she possessed. So, Naruto surmised he should do what he did best: move the burden to him.

He raced around the desk and held her tightly in his arms. She instinctively allowed him to do so. "Sakura, I'm so sorry. I've been so selfish this whole time. I've neglected you and the whole village. It's not your fault all this has been happening."

She shook her head against his chest. She was beginning to tear up. "I know it's not my fault, but I can't do it anymore, Naruto. It's painful getting up in the morning and planning everything in your head, trying to decipher how it's going to go and what to do when it gets real bad. It's not how I want to live my life! It's hell! It's all absolute hell just waking up!"

Naruto released his hold on her and stared into her watery orbs. There was a slanted glamour fortified there and he knew she had cultivated such a unique wonder over time. The time it had taken to forge and solidify it was what made it beautiful to him.

Sakura's breath was far less rapid by the time he spoke. "We'll figure it out, Sakura. We can't give up just yet. There's people out there who need us. I feel like giving up too sometimes because of all the pain, but we can make it through this."

She sniffled. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because others have done it before us," he said strongly. "We're not the only ones to ever suffer, Sakura. We've lost important people before and so did they. But they didn't give up and we won't either. They trusted us to keep the light burning no matter what. We're still breathing, so we've got to keep moving."

Sakura nodded slowly, and Naruto stepped back from her, allowing his words to sublimate her. There was a fragrant smell that seemed to permeate the room in that moment of pause. Neither of them were really sure what it reminded them of, but it was a sweet, vigorous scent that fluttered aimlessly about. They took the time to savor its peace.

Sakura took a deep breath of the smooth air and wiped her eyes. "You're right, Naruto. I couldn't do that to all the people who got us this far either."

He smiled placidly. "I know you wouldn't. You just needed to let it all out. We all need that sometimes."

"Yeah, I've just been so worried about everything, especially Sasuke."

Naruto chuckled at that. "Believe me, Sakura; there's no way that bastard's dead. He's more stubborn than me, so he's probably just fine."

Her thoughtful smile told him she believed it. "So, where do we go from here? Do we stay focused on keeping sane and busy?"

Naruto exhaled. "Yeah, for now." That was just fine with him. They needed some more time, but soon, things would change. When people kept pushing down a very beaten path, they eventually had to make a new path. Naruto could do that.

He had done it before.

* * *

Darui looked down upon the cliffs and the houses with the clouds circling past them in a leisurely fashion. For many years, he had known those cliffs to bolster morale and support through children's laughter and smiling faces. They had all amplified Kumo's charm because a village was nothing without its people.

Now, it was nothing.

Darui turned away from the window and watched Omoi walk into his office. "Raikage- _sama_ ," he stated after bowing. Darui already knew what the news was, it was written all over his old friend's face.

Darui shook his head. "Don't bow, Omoi. It doesn't really fit you right now."

Omoi nodded and scrunched his face. Darui could see the pure struggle the man was undergoing just to speak. "I've just finished speaking with Shikamaru, the Head Representative of the Union." Omoi looked down at his feet, his fists shaking. "He gave me a quick update on Konoha." Darui said nothing and observed his friend and subordinate. "He said that my old teammate, Karui, has been declared…" He choked and Darui saw streaks of moisture paint his dark skin.

Darui exhaled and closed his eyes. His tone was almost casual, elastic. "Just say it."

Omoi howled: "She's dead, Raikage- _sama_!"

The Godaime Raikage nodded and sat in his chair. He brought his hands up in front of his face. He was becoming acutely accustomed to terrible news, and he supposed being the leader of Kumo meant to handle such unfortunate events. The Yondaime Raikage had passed away by the disease not more than a few days prior and, if nothing else, destroyed Darui's heart.

"I see," he said. His eyes appeared to be bleary. "Have you mentioned this to Samui yet?" Omoi nodded quickly. "Then find her and tell her to report here. After that, you are then relieved for the rest of the day, Omoi. You can go and mourn at your leisure."

Omoi bowed again. "Yes, Raikage- _sama_. Thank you!"

Darui knew the poor man would cry until his eyes shriveled up that night, just like he had done himself a few days ago. Every morning Darui had to fight off his growing cynicism. Most of the time, he lost.

After Omoi left, Darui appreciated the blank stillness in the room. He always enjoyed silence and found it to be relaxing, affable. Most of the things he loved once had now shifted to some form of horrifying torture that suffocated and squeezed the soul. His favorite meals tasted bland, and his favorite views of the mountains appeared dark and shapeless. At least, he still had silence. Because in silence there was nothing that could hurt him, no words, no void, no sense of surrender.

The Raikage sat in his office with his eyes closed, almost dozing off but still conscious. He was aware of his surroundings and his mind simultaneously. This was his form of gathering his energy back. Sleep recharged him physically, but this did it mentally. And he needed all the mental energy he could get, especially now because of the development he was crafting for Samui's sake. He pondered how the other Kage were doing. They were all alive still since the last report. Kurotsuchi had sent him a personal message the other day, so Darui knew she was as vibrant and stubborn as ever (although, her account of her grandfather's death definitely seemed to have shaken her). He believed Mei to be resilient enough to have survived the last few days. He didn't even need to question Gaara and Naruto. If those two hadn't survived, then they were all already dead.

Darui was pulled from his heightened state of consciousness by the sound of his door opening. Samui walked in. Darui always marveled at how she was able to maintain her youthful appearance. She was almost forty now, but her face and body easily shaved off ten years of that, especially when she smiled. But even before the outbreak, that had been a rare occurrence to behold. Despite this, there was one part of her that seemed to carry the weight of age. Her royal blue eyes had deepened to a rich shade that spoke of wisdom and great strain over the years.

The gorgeous blonde bowed her head politely. Her face as stoic as ever. "Raikage _-sama_ , you requested my presence?"

Darui rubbed his facial hair with his thumb and forefinger. "Yes, I did. Omoi mentioned he had already told you about the news of your old teammate, Karui. Is this true?"

Samui showed no visible sign of emotion as she nodded. "Yes, Raikage _-sama_."

Darui observed her face with great scrutiny. He knew her brother, Atsui, had also passed the week before, so it would have been completely natural for her to be a mess right now. It bothered him that she wasn't. Unfortunately, his craftsmanship would have to be illustrated here. "How do you feel about that?" he asked directly.

Samui's tone was clear and precise. "It brings me great grief, Raikage _-sama_. But I know that my duty right now is far more important."

Darui had assigned her the task of managing the surviving groups for clean-up and retrieval. When the outbreak had first begun, Naruto had sent suggestions to all the villages to implement the same plan he started in Konoha. Darui had complied without question. Putting Samui in the managing seat, had also been a good call on his part. The kunoichi was skilled in leading and her intelligence level was hardly measurable because it practically soared. He was honored to have her assistance.

And that was why he had to let her go.

"Samui, do you feel like your work has been hindered of late?" Darui asked.

Now there was some emotion on her face; surprise creased throughout her brow. "No, Raikage _-sama_. I don't believe my work has slowed or decreased at all."

"Good, but to be honest, Samui, that worries me."

The creases deepened. "But why, my lord? Do you think I've become incapable?"

Darui pushed his lower jaw forward, setting his jaw. "Not at all, Samui. You are probably the best subordinate I have left. Your skills are unparalleled and highly efficient." Darui could see a bit of fracture in her now. There was pain and confusion in her eyes, deepening the shade of blue in them even more. "But I'm afraid I need to relieve you of your duties for now."

Her voice raised. "But why?"

Her desperation cut through him. She didn't deserve this, but she needed it. It was a gift to her even if she didn't see it that way. "You need to accept things for as they are, Samui. Working as you are now would only be detrimental to your health and psyche."

"That's not true!" she screamed. Her outburst told him everything he needed to know. She had been using the position as a crutch, a safety hold to not deal with the pain. Perhaps, it was merciless to snatch it all away from her. But his compassion was being diverted for this one. He couldn't lose her too.

"I'm sorry, Samui. I'm giving the position to C for now. I know it sounds like I'm being unfair—"

"You're damn right!" she shouted. As soon as the words left her mouth, she threw her hands to her lips, her apology already starting to brew there.

Darui held up his hand before she had time to apologize. "It's all right, Samui. Maybe now you can see where your mind is at right now. Your load is far heavier than I think you realize. This is not a mere suggestion for you to rest. I order you to relinquish your position and go home. I need you to reach a healthy point of acceptance. Until you do, I cannot accept your assistance."

He saw the battle being fought in her eyes. It was so very unlike her to express such bombastic tendencies and that's simply what stress did. In one way, it calmed him because he knew she was at least aware of some of it now. Baby steps, he told himself.

After a moment of mental deliberation, Samui bowed respectfully. "Yes, Raikage- _sama._ I understand your request and will accept it." She bit her lip and added: "With reluctance, if it pleases you."

Darui nodded. "I can understand that. Thank you, Samui. For everything."

She bowed again and then turned to leave. Her strides were wide and shaky as she made her exit.

Darui supposed that was to be expected. He swerved his chair around and stared out upon Kumo once again. The clouds had roamed down lower and covered everything in misty white.

Much like he had with Samui's emotions, Darui deemed it to be a beautiful sight.

* * *

 **I had wanted to get this chapter out earlier, but I was only able to work on it bit by bit this week. My internship has left me with very little free time, but the work load should be decreasing these next few weeks. I'll also be done with the position by the end of the month, so that will leave me with much more time to write.**

 **I hope this chapter left you with the feelings I was pining for. I really like where this story is going, and I can't wait for it to really boom. I'm really taken aback by the responses I've been receiving. You guys are all so kind and encouraging! Thank you all so much! I feel so honored to write for all of you, and I'm excited for where this story will take all of us. I hope to hear from all of you, so thanks again!**

 **-CM**


	4. Laid Low

Chapter 4: Laid Low

" _This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of the "creative temperament"-it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again."_

 _-F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby_

* * *

The sand trailed along through the empty streets, skirting in wispy particles toward some unforeseeable destination. The wind was strong that day and caused sand drifts to accumulate next to the sandstone structures of the village. The dusky area seemed to have been abandoned, as if the buildings had only been created to be vacant for all eternity.

Gaara thought his village looked sad. He saw the drifts of sand as tears that had become too numerous and now just seemed dreary. He had never wanted to see Suna in such a physical state and lacking any form of aesthetic. But there were far more pressing matters to attend to. That's what his brother and advisor said, anyways.

Kankuro put his hand on Gaara's shoulder and shook his head grimly. "We need to head over to the hospital now, Gaara. She needs to see you." They were standing on the balcony on top of the Headquarters building.

They had heard about Temari's demise the night before from Shikamaru, and somehow, they had been silent about it. It was a quiet agreement between the two of them. They had to stay positive because nobody else would.

Gaara nodded slowly. "I understand. Let's go then." He was dreading this. In every kind of level, he should have never left the hospital. Even when he got there and saw his wife was already dead, he could still not generate the proper regret.

Gaara had been wondering a lot about regret lately. As Kankuro and he traversed around the sandy streets, Gaara questioned if it was a necessary concept. He supposed he regretted not being able to save his citizens. He knew it wasn't his fault, but that didn't mean he could regret his lack of power or not. It only made it seem more tragic.

They reached the hospital room, but they were too slow.

And when he saw his wife's lifeless form on her hospital bed, Gaara pondered if it would have been better if he had never married her. Because this hurt. The doctor (one of the surviving few) actually had empathy in his eyes when he looked at Gaara. "Kazekage- _sama_ , we were about to inform you of her. She passed away just moments ago. I'm so sorry."

Gaara's eyes that had once held no emotion except for masked rage now carried a dull apathy in them. "It's fine, Doctor," he said. "It was going to happen sooner or later."

The hospital room was small as Matsuri had wanted it. She had been rather adamant when Gaara had tried to pry about it.

They had been talking about having a child before the outbreak, and he supposed that fit the setting quite nicely. Compared to everyone else, what made his story so much more calamitous? He was not special, and she hadn't been either. That's why he fell in love with her originally. She had never tried to be something she was not. Most of the girls around him back then had tried to present themselves as someone worthy of him. Because Matsuri was humble, however, he was unable to deny her.

At this current moment, she was still being humble and making him feel it too. What could be more humbling than missing the death of your spouse and barely summoning any regret over it? He wasn't sure.

So, he asked Kankuro.

His brother blinked at him with almost manic eyes. "Gaara, what are you talking about? Are you all right?"

"That's a dumb question," he stated dryly.

Kankuro held his shoulder again. "I know this is hard, Gaara. We should have been here earlier to say good-bye—"

"Why would I need to do that, Kankuro?" He didn't really see it mattering.

Kankuro stared at his brother in shock. There was an odd glare in the Kazekage's eyes that reminded him of when they were kids again; they were colorless ice. He was becoming numb again. No, there had been so much progress. "Gaara, please. Don't talk like that. The village still needs you."

"We have a village?" Gaara asked, as if the question was fresh like a newborn baby.

"Yes! And they need you!" Fortunately, the doctor had left, so it was only the two of them left in the small room.

Some color returned to the Kazekage's eyes then. "I see. Well, someone should tell them that I don't have a wife anymore. I wish someone would have said something to me."

This was bad, Kankuro thought. "Gaara, she just died. Probably as we were walking here."

Gaara shook his head like an annoying salesman was pestering him about buying something. "That just won't do, Kankuro. She must have been worried."

The color was flushing into the bluish-green eyes like a flood, and Kankuro shook his brother. "Stop it, Gaara! She's dead, OK?! Matsuri's dead and you have to accept that!"

Gaara glowered, confused. "I know that, Kankuro. Did I ever say she wasn't?"

Hot tears brimmed around Kankuro's eyes. "Gaara, you're scaring me. You're losing your feelings again. Please, don't act like this. We still have a village to care for. I know it feels like they're all gone. But we still have people and that means you're still the Kazekage!"

Finally, the color brought forth a torrent and Gaara wept. For a long time, they both did in that little hospital room. After they could cry no longer, Gaara was stable enough to make a decision. At least, for a little while. "We need to see Naruto," he said then.

Kankuro had been hoping he would reach that conclusion. They buried Matsuri's body in the sand shortly after that.

* * *

This was not cool, Samui thought as she sat on her bedside. There was a light fissure of rage that soared through her mind, and she thought it looked like pure magma. Random emotions were frequent during times of tragedy and mayhem, and she had seen that a lot in her life. She was a victim to it herself a few times. But anger was _not_ her standard fallback. Hell, it wasn't even in her top five.

But she couldn't stop feeling angry.

And why couldn't she be? Surely, it was understandable. A monstrous disease had come to take the beautiful souls with it. The children were gone, her brother, the rest of her family; they were all dead. She lost the position that allowed her to distract herself, and now she had nothing to do. She couldn't even help out because Darui had commanded her to take the week off. That was the last thing the village needed. It needed her.

No, that was not entirely true.

She needed it.

The fissure was washed away by her soothing breath. She had always been really good at keeping calm. When she was young, she had once seen her hot-blooded brother get in trouble. She had been seventeen at the time, and he was seven. Their mother had told him to not leave the house after dark. One night he did, and Samui watched him leave with a chilled, observing eye. When their mother found out he had done so the next day, (Atsui had never been good at hiding his mistakes) she had reprimanded him severely. He was grounded to his room for weeks. He had immediately become enraged and practically destroyed his room. Samui remembered walking into his room and seeing the mess, her little brother lying in the thick of it. His little head was buried into his tattered pillow, and she sometimes recalled him best from that untainted memory.

Atsui had seen her then and blurted: "She had no right! It was a stupid rule to begin with!"

"But it was a rule," she had said to him coolly. "And you shouldn't be angry at something you can't control."

She remembered seeing him deflate after that. She would often say something like that to him as they grew up. It had become a mantra to them. But now it was only hers. Ironically, she could hear him repeating it back to her now. He would be probably smiling that carefree smile many girls had found to be attractive over the years. She yearned for that smile. Maybe she wouldn't feel anything if she could see it again.

 _You shouldn't be angry at something you can't control._ She questioned that now. Was it true? Why couldn't she be angry? It didn't bring her comfort to be angry. In fact, it exhausted her. But she needed to feel something about this horrendous reality she had been given. She couldn't wash it away like it was dirt. But it felt dirty.

She felt dirty.

Samui stood up from her bed and leaned toward a picture frame on the wall. It was one of her and Atsui, back during the war. It had been taken after they were released from the Benihisago and saw the war was over. They were both garbed in their combat uniforms and were striking poses that portrayed their personalities. Atsui had his hands up with a big grin on his face, and Samui had her hands on her hips, staring at the camera stoically. Everyone had always commented on how different they were growing up, but they had actually understood each other better than anybody.

Samui had always known what better mood Atsui was going through over the years. She could discern his little antics as being a form of coping as a shinobi. He enjoyed it and loved running around without thinking, but he was always so scared as well. So, Samui would be calm for him. She would keep a cool demeanor to balance the both of them. They could be themselves for each other, and she had always determined that as positively beautiful.

Her slender hand caressed the glass frame, stroking her brother's face. She wanted to grab that smile of his and keep it. She needed to hold him again. When he was dying on his deathbed, she couldn't let him go. His body was so warm and inviting, but when it had gone cold, she knew it was no longer her brother anymore.

Samui fell to her knees and smashed her fist weakly into the wooden floor. The fissure was spreading again, and she wanted to pry it open so it could damage everything. It would devour all the pain, all the agony everyone was experiencing, all the sad events, the death, her heart. Her heart hurt so much right now.

But it wasn't a physical pain. No, Samui thought it was like digging a hole in the mind. The hole was excavated and wide for the person to fit in, and it always grew dark whenever they went back down into it. Falling into the hole was easy too, as if she was only falling asleep. Her fissure closed then as she lay sprawled on the floor.

Samui felt tired now. Her chest rose with a heavy breath. She calmly surveyed her empty bedroom. When she had initially decided to live alone several years ago, she had promised herself it would only be for a little while. Surely, she thought she would have found someone to love by now, marry them, maybe have a few kids. That would have been nice. It wasn't like she hadn't had lovers before. She had enjoyed many actually. After the war, she had relished the peace and gone on many dates with different men, but none of them for very long. Her friends had asked if it was because she was afraid of commitment, but that wasn't it. Frankly, it was her intuition.

Samui was widely regarded as a collective, thoughtful woman and she was. But more than anything, she trusted her intuition. Her ability to identify the best action to take in a short amount of time was what made her a superior shinobi. And she had used it on all of her suitors. None of them flared that intuition. Some of them did a little, if she remembered correctly. But it was like starting a fire in a snowstorm: they might create a little flame, but it would be extinguished shortly after.

So, Samui was unmarried.

She had been bitter about it over the years, yes, but more than often she was relatively fine with it. She was not a young woman anymore, though, and she believed she would stay alone forever. Even though she knew she looked like she was still in her prime, her heart didn't feel the same, especially now with the outbreak. Romance was the furthest thing from anyone right now, and it would probably stay like that for a while.

Still, she mused, if she was given the chance and her intuition gave the proper permission, she would jump on the opportunity for some happiness. A good man would bring some solace to her weary soul, and she had a yearning to give some of herself away too. Even if that was far away, she would hope in it a little. She could use some of that right about now. They all could.

Based off the scattered reports, Samui knew Kumo was suffering just as much as the rest of the villages. The overall population was depleting to drastic levels, and it was almost impossible to predict what would happen next. She was the first person (but not the last) to think maybe the current villages would not be the best place for the survivors to be in. Kumo was too big now. But that thought triggered a chain of many others, and her mind didn't want to handle all that right now.

She grimaced and clutched her hair. She felt so restless and tired all at the same time. She wanted to sleep, but she also wanted to _do_ something. Anything. She could run supplies back and forth between teams and she wouldn't complain. She didn't need to manage anything. She would be satisfied with just work. Even better, she could be sent away on a mission. Of course, that was not likely right now. They needed everyone in the village during this time of crisis, but maybe if the chance arose…

That would be cool.

If presented with such a desirable opportunity, Samui would leave the village for the sake of hope. Unbeknownst to her, she would be given such a rare chance later on, and her intuition would be allowed to push ahead with her.

* * *

Naruto awoke with a start. His bare chest was heaving heavily, and he was drenched in cold sweat. The early morning hours welcomed his consciousness, and Sakura stirred next to him. They hadn't had the courage to sleep alone yet, so every night had been warm lately. He rubbed his eyes wearily and threw the covers off him. He sat by the bedside in his boxers, rubbing his eyes.

That dream was far too real, he told himself. It had involved Hinata and him. Sleep couldn't even let him escape, and he found that to be cruel. He was walking with her in it, and they were laughing. And then she fell. She fell and disappeared in front of him. That was it. It was so simple, and it summed up everything he was feeling. He was still standing, and she was gone.

He must have sat there for a while because soon he felt a silky hand comfort his back. Sakura's voice whispered into him: "Naruto, you're shaking."

He looked down at his hands. They were shuddering rapidly. "Sorry, I'm alright," he muttered.

"No, you're not."

"I had a bad dream."

"What was it about?" He told her. Afterwards, she said: "I'm sure you're not the only one with dreams like that."

He smirked coldly. "Somehow, that's oddly comforting."

She showed a flat smile. "Good, then I'm doing my job."

"So you're healing me then, Doc?'

"I've never been a doctor to you, Naruto, so don't even joke that I am one."

"Well, are you not a doctor? And am I not the Hokage?"

Sakura brushed aside her cherry-kissed hair with her lithe fingers. She was only wearing her underwear. She knew they were dancing on a very thin line every night, but grief was cold enough to not start any fires. "You are, but I don't really see you as that."

"Do you think everybody who ever grew up together feels the same way?"

She tapped her lip and gazed away thoughtfully. "Maybe. Never really thought about that. I don't think we're like most people, so I'd say no."

Naruto nodded. "Me too." He paused and stared at the wall in front of him. "What do you when faced with a wall, Sakura?"

Her eyebrow quirked up. "Huh?"

"A wall," he repeated. "You need to get to the other side of it, but it's there. What do you do?"

"Is this question rhetorical?"

"That's when you already know the answer, right?"

She smirked, amused. "Yeah, that one."

"No, I honestly don't know. My first instinct is to smash it."

She rolled her eyes. She liked talking him to like this. It made her forget about the stench outside. The one that smelled like smoke. "But you know that's not a good idea?"

"Exactly," he said fervently. "I need to be more careful about this one. If I'm not delicate—" He stared at his bandaged hand, flexing it tightly. "—then I might do more harm than good."

"But you'd be doing something with the right intention." She shuffled over and sat next to him on the bedside. He tried not to look at her half-naked figure. She was still beautiful to him as he knew she would always be. "No one could blame you for attempting to do the right thing, Naruto."

They had done it before, he thought. "Maybe. But I still don't want to ruin this. I need to be careful."

She nodded slowly. "I think that's wise. But why do you feel like you need to change anything? We've accomplished a lot already. There's a little stability in Konoha right now. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves by chewing on too much."

"That's precisely why we need to do something _soon_ , Sakura." He didn't look at her, but she could clearly make out the dark circles under his eyes. They made him look ominous, and that word was never used to describe the Orange Hokage. "They're stable now because they're doing something, but what happens after that? They can't go back to what they used to do. The shinobi system is practically non-existent. Humanity is practically non-existent! These survivors need to find something to press them further. Something radical."

Sakura felt tension in her throat. "Like what?"

"I don't know," he almost whispered. "The wall is just too big, Sakura. And everything's too fragile for me to start breaking things."

Sakura crossed her legs. "All right, fine. Let's brainstorm." They had time. She didn't have to be at the hospital just yet. They could afford to enjoy something like this. Just a little. "Do you think we could create a new system?"

"I don't even think there will be a _need_ for a system at all," he admitted. "There's so few of us left that we couldn't even run one."

"So, is there no point in having shinobi anymore?" Her voice sounded sadder than she had intended for it to be.

"No, I don't think so." He smiled. It was a small one. "As long as we're still alive, we have a purpose and that's to keep the fire burning." The old Sandaime would have agreed.

"All right, so looking at it as a system is pointless right now?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, that's right. The system's gone but not the people. So, we need to appeal to the people and not the system."

She was starting to get the gist. "And Konoha's not suitable for them anymore?"

"Yep. That's the wall. It's a lot bigger than I'd like for it to be too."

"So, we need to do something about the village?"

" _All_ of them, actually. All the Hidden Villages are suffering right now, and they need just as much help."

"Isn't that asking for too much, Naruto?" She frowned slightly. "I mean it's going to take a lot just to get Konoha up and running again."

"You're still not seeing the point here, Sakura." Naruto was frowning at the wall in front of him now. It was just Sakura's bedroom wall, but it could have been the sky itself: high and unforgiving. "Konoha is not the problem here. It's the people. And that's everybody. We're no longer separated by where a person is from and haven't been for years now. We need to somehow reach a collective decision around this dilemma."

Sakura was always so impressed by the man's leadership skills. He became so serious at times like these. He really was no longer that cute, blond boy who didn't know anything but his own philosophy on life. Although—in a way—he still was. His philosophy had just matured, and the boy had too.

"Like what?" she asked.

"I don't know." He had been seeking the answer since Iruka died. Konoha couldn't exist anymore. "I'm facing this wall now, Sakura, and I feel like I'm doing it alone."

Sakura didn't like that. Her eyes curved down to the ground as she recalled something Kakashi had said about him once: _If it seems like he's about to stumble, I'll be there to help him._ "Do you really feel like you're alone?" she uttered, her voice sounding hollow.

Naruto finally looked at her, his ocean-blue eyes searching her features for a reason to continue on. "I'm scared to say yes, Sakura."

She shook her head rapidly. "Then don't! Because you're not alone. You've never been. So many people have always been there for you, Naruto. That's why you've reached your goals because of them!"

"And now they're gone!" he screamed. She knew his voice could probably shake the foundations of the earth if he wanted it too, but right now it was just loud. And painful. "And I've never felt more alone, Sakura!"

She had been crying so much lately. It didn't bring any relief anymore. Instead, it was a bleak tunnel that led to only more grief. That's why no tears came to her now, but she felt them anyways. "Not all of them, Naruto. Not all of them."

Suddenly, Naruto's eyes broadened and guilt surged through his blood. "Sorry, Sakura." His voice was low now, cool. "It's hard not to think about loss right now." People liked to say it was best to count your blessings in time of hardship, but when it was something of this caliber, all expectations were cast aside.

"It's OK, Naruto. Being emotional is acceptable right now."

"But not for this decision." He frowned again, focusing on the wall. "There's a solution somewhere, and I must find it soon. The people are holding on to a very short future right now. I need to give them something bright to look at." He brought his bandaged hand up in front of his eyes. "Just like I did before."

Sakura remembered that. When he had convinced Obito to surrender during the war, he had shown everyone what he was capable of. What they were all capable of when they rallied behind him. She encased his prosthetic hand with her own. "We can do this, Naruto. Remember that; you're not meant to do it by yourself."

Naruto exhaled and stood up from the bed. She stared at his naked back and was glad she had already promised her heart to Sasuke. A weaker woman would have submitted to that man by now. "I'm going to make my rounds and think," he said. If she wasn't there, Sakura would have believed he would have still said that out loud. "I'll figure out something I can do. Something we can _all_ do."

She nodded and watched him get dressed. After he left, she sat by herself on the bed and thought about what they had talked about until she needed to get back to work.

For the majority of that day, Naruto did what he had been doing since his wife's death: supervising. If he wasn't in his office working on paperwork, (there was plenty to sift through, but he had picked out the most essential papers first and finished them days ago) he was out observing the survivor teams and their progress. His presence evoked courage in their hearts, and he greatly appreciated the change in their behavior when they saw him.

When he found Shikamaru in the town center, the Nara was overseeing the retrieval teams coming from various houses. He turned to the blond with a small smile when he saw him. Their friendship had only grown stronger over the years and both were glad to see the other survive the unfortunate ordeal.

"Glad to see you woke up this morning," Shikamaru quipped.

Naruto nodded with his own creased smile. "Yeah, well, I count it as an achievement lately."

The Nara shrugged. "Something needs to, I suppose."

And just like that, all the humor vanished between them. Things were too grim to allow such pleasantries. Naruto gestured toward the group of shinobi carrying parcels near the giant pile of Konoha's belongings. "Seems like they've made a lot of progress since yesterday."

Shikamaru's lips thinned. "Yeah, that tends to happen when some of them work all night." Naruto's eyebrows rose and a corner of Shikamaru's lip raised. "Believe me; I tried to send them away, but they wouldn't have it. Most of them haven't slept all week."

Naruto frowned and called a nearby chūnin over to him. The young shinobi looked at the village leader incredulously as he approached. "Yes, what is it, Hokage- _sama_?" he said.

Naruto nodded to the young man. "When was the last time you stopped working and slept, my friend?"

The young chūnin blinked. "Um, two days ago, sir."

"Go home," Naruto said without skipping a beat. "That's an order. In fact, tell everybody else here to do the same. They can all report back to their stations tomorrow morning, but I don't want to see a soul working today unless it's an emergency." That sounded ironic, he thought, because their very lives had been thrown into an emergency, and he didn't think they would ever get out of it. He quickly added: "If anyone gives you any trouble, send them to me."

The chūnin bowed. "Yes, sir." He paused for a moment and looked up at the Hokage with candor. "Thank you, Naruto- _sama_." With that, the shinobi ran off to report the order.

Naruto turned to Shikamaru, who was visibly smirking again. "I was waiting for you to make that order. I thought it wouldn't be until next week that you noticed."

"Did you plan on ever telling me?" Naruto asked.

"I just did, didn't I?"

Naruto squared his jaw. "How long has it been since you slept?"

"Last night. I just woke up a few hours ago, actually."

Naruto stared at him blankly. "Any dreams?"

To Naruto's surprise, there was fear in the Nara's dark eyes. "Many."

They left it at that. Naruto then mentioned what he had been discussing with Sakura earlier that morning. He finished the story7 with: "And I don't know how to handle it. Everything comes to mind as either too drastic or just too unrealistic."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Most good decisions are typically one or the other. And the best are almost always both."

Naruto didn't respond to that. He kept listening. His advisor was good at coming up with the best ideas and strategies. It had saved him and countless others before and during the war.

Shikamaru tilted his head up to view the drifting clouds. "What month is it now, Naruto?"

"I forgot, honestly."

Shikamaru kept his gaze on the azure sky. "Me too, sadly. Do you think by the time we do know, we will have begun to care about such things again?"

"Maybe," Naruto said frankly. "I just hope that time comes."

"It will. Sooner or later, it will have to. We can only hope we'll be the ones around to enjoy it, though." Shikamaru's eyes skimmed back to the Hokage. "If you were looking for a solution to the current problem, I'm afraid you won't find it from me."

Naruto was genuinely surprised. "Really?"

When Shikamaru nodded, the blond couldn't help but find it depressing. Then again, everything was nowadays. "I'm afraid so. I've definitely thought about it, but honestly, I can't be the one to think about it any longer. The burden's too heavy."

"But not heavy enough for me?" Naruto asked.

Now, Shikamaru really smiled. "Weight's never applied to you, my friend." He tapped his shoulder and walked past him.

"Where are you going?"

Shikamaru didn't look back as he walked away from the center. "Taking your advice, Hokage- _sama_."

Naruto had a smug smile on his face while he watched his old friend leave. Then, he sighed and turned toward the north side of town and began to stroll that direction. He retold the same orders to any team members as he ventured north. When he reached the high cliff of the Hokage Monument, he effortlessly jumped up and climbed his stone likeness with ease.

He had always dreamed of seeing his face carved into the sacred stone, and he still couldn't fully believe it every time he saw the wonder. He would forever be immortalized in Konoha along with his father and some of the greatest shinobi to ever exist. He was beyond honored. All he could really feel was gratitude but even that fell short.

And it was because of this gratitude that made his decision so hard.

He had reached the conclusion while he had been walking toward the cliff, but brooding over it was only going to yield more uncertainty. He knew this was what was best for the village, for the all the Nations really. But it would hurt.

Damn, it was going to be difficult. People weren't going to like it. But if Naruto was confident about it, he knew they'd come around.

He sat there atop the Monument, overlooking the village he had grown up in. It was going to be hard to say good-bye. There was going to be a lot of planning and consolidating to do, but it would start with his resolve. He allowed it to surge like the sun rays that impacted his skin.

He found Sakura later that day, working diligently in a patient's room. When she saw him, he looked haggard but determined. "What is it?" she asked him as they darted out into the white-tiled hallway.

Naruto's eyes were lit with a passion she had forgotten about. It reminded her of when they fought Kaguya. "I have to tell you first," he started. "It's risky, if I'm honest, but I think it's our best chance. I need to say it aloud because it sounds crazy just bouncing around in my head."

She held up her hand and shook her head, dazed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

His jaw squared, and his eyes gleamed. "We need to leave Konoha. All of us."

She was speechless after that and when she was finally able to talk again, they began to discuss how it could work. The sun disappeared again that night and promised to return once more the next day. If only everything else in the world could have been as certain.

* * *

 **I'm so close to being done with this draining internship. I am somehow able to carve out these words, regardless of how tired I am, so that's good. I'll get to finally graduate with my major soon, and then I can sleep. I really enjoy this setting, and I got to say it's turning me toward some really exciting stuff. I hope you guys are getting a kick out of it. Seriously, I love the feedback I'm getting. I'm not used to receiving a lot of reviews, so thank you all so much. I'm so encouraged by every kind word you all send me. I'm grateful for all of that. I hope this chapter is a nice gift to you all.**

 **I also would like to point out the age difference between Naruto and Samui, so there's no confusion about it. Naruto is 27 and Samui is 39. That would be their canon age, and I'm going with it. Truthfully, I find nothing wrong with that relational age gap between adults. I personally know a few couples with even greater age differences, so if it bothers you, you'll just have to deal with it.**

 **Thanks again for the reviews! And keep them coming!**

 **-CM**


	5. All That is Terrible is Helpless

Chapter 5: All That is Terrible is Helpless

" _So, you must not be frightened if a sadness rises up before you larger than any you have ever seen; if a restiveness, like light and cloudshadows, passes over your hands and over all you do. You must think that something is happening with you, that life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand; it will not let you fall."_

 _-Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet_

* * *

The gentle rhythm of the wind sailed and beat the branches of the forest around them. The night felt almost like a blanket, muffling the noises and sensations of the overt evening. Shikamaru leaned against the wall with a bored expression. He had been planning on going to bed earlier that night, but Naruto had used his persistence on him again. Truth be told, the Nara could never deny his friend even if he was the Hokage or not. Still, standing on the outskirts of Konoha left a man feeling precarious and spiritless. He wasn't alone at least.

He grimaced as Ino whispered in his ear: "Shouldn't they be here by now?"

He brought his teeth together and shushed her. "I told you we're supposed to be quiet."

She crossed her arms and pouted. Her voice did not lower either, much to Shikamaru's chagrin. "Isn't it a little dumb for us to be acting covert right now? There hasn't been any conflict for years now and even if there _was_ , don't you think it would be poor timing on their part?"

Shikamaru felt his face get hot. She was right, but they were shinobi. It was standard procedure for them to be as unobtrusive as possible. It was practically habitual by this point in his life, and it should have been the same for Ino.

"I guess," he eventually grumbled. "They should be here soon, in any case."

Ino was staring at him relentlessly. He shot her an irritated glance. The muddled moonlight elevated the blue in her eyes and seemed to make them even more intimidating. Temari had been capable of something similar whenever it was obvious to the both of them he had messed up. But she had always been forgiving in the end.

"You're doing it again," she stated.

Shikamaru shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Huh? Doing what?"

Ino leaned forward with a scrupulous eye. "You made _that_ look again."

He groaned and dug his hands into his pockets. "So you're memorizing my looks now?"

"Shikamaru," she started with exasperation laced into her voice. "I've known you since we were kids. If you really think that I'm just now studying your looks, then I don't think you've ever been paying attention."

He wasn't looking at her, and instead he was staring into the thickness of the trees, as if they could lead him to a better plane of existence. "Maybe I haven't."

To his surprise, she smiled at that. "I didn't think so. But I've been worried about you."

His eyes came back to her. "Why? There's plenty to worry about right now, and I think I should be at the bottom of that list."

"That's not fair, Shikamaru. Someone's got to look out for you since—"

"I'm fine, Ino."

"No." She said the word so simply that it almost sounded like a fact. "You're not."

Shikamaru's hand tensed indignantly, and he could feel a vein surge in his neck. "And you know this how?"

"Because of that look. You've had it every night you've been in my bed. I've watched you."

This was not the kind of talk for a mission. He was also much too tired for it, even though it was probably hard for the blonde to have it too. She had taken time from the hospital to be here with him. He probably didn't need to think too hard about why. This very conversation was centered around it too.

"So, I'm sad," he said softly. Any anger within him that still remained couldn't keep up with the times. "It's kind of to be expected."

Ino's crystallized eyes looked down. "I know. I am too. But you can talk to me. I kind of know what it feels like."

Shikamaru leaned against the wall again. "I guess you do. Sorry, but I don't think I'm ready yet."

"Do you know when you will be? Do you even know if you'll ever be?"

Shikamaru shook his head slowly and that seemed to stop the questions. The wind stopped as well. Somewhere in the darkness, a cricket chirped. There was a long pause between the two of them until Shikamaru said: "I miss the way she would help me when things got tough." Ino was startled by his confession, but her eyes softened quickly. "Temari would always relax a bit when I was honest with her, like she had been anxious about it."

"She probably was," Ino added.

"Couldn't blame her," he said. "Responsibility is meant to be shared, and she always had to keep reminding me of that."

"It's not like you're the only one with that problem." Ino would confess that all of the men in Konoha struggled with accepting aid, but maybe that's why they complemented the affirming females so much.

"That doesn't make it OK, though. It only shows how much shit we're in." His eyes narrowed. "And it keeps feeling like it's getting deeper."

Ino folded her arms. "It's easy to see it like that, I suppose. But there's another way to view it too."

He looked over to her quizzically. "How?"

The moonlight was brighter now and seemed almost ghostly on her pale skin. "By seeing it as a chance for something better. Maybe the pain is a transition to happiness. I mean, I miss Sai every single second with increasing agony and his death is really fresh in my heart, but that doesn't mean I can just mope around. Despite how bad things have gotten, this isn't the end. I'm still breathing, and it would be an insult to Sai and everybody else we've lost to just waste it on screaming about how we want to give up."

"I never said I'm giving up," Shikamaru clarified.

"You didn't need to. You already have in your heart. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sleeping at my house."

"That's not true! Don't make it sound like you're the only one who's moved past it all!" Any habit of being 'covert' was gone from his mind now. "You're in the same shit!" This wasn't like him, Shikamaru thought. He wasn't easily upset, but this damn grief was messing up his head. He couldn't keep his cool like he used to. Temari was dead, and it felt like the world was never going to be peaceful again.

"At least I'm honest about it!" Ino yelled. "I can talk about this pain. I deal with people dying every day, and it's so easy to look at all of it with a cold glare like we never had emotion in the first place! But it matters, Shikamaru! You can't pretend like it doesn't!"

"Why are you adding stuff to this? I haven't said anything about any of this! You're just jumping to your own conclusions based off what you think I'm going through. That's not being sympathetic at all! How could you possibly understand?"

"Maybe I would if you'd talk to me!"

Shikamaru was about to yell again. He was about to be even more excessive and push her further away. Because that would keep them both safe, he concluded. Then they could stop pretending they were still alive. Fortunately, there was an interruption.

"Excuse me?" said an apprehensive voice next to them.

Their faces darted to the two men standing in front of them. Shikamaru straightened, his cheeks red but concealed by a merciful cloud that obscured the moon for now. "My apologies, Kazekage- _sama_."

Gaara's hand reached up, and his fingers curled. "It's fine, Shikamaru. I'm sorry for interrupting."

Kankuro, ever the man for civilities, looked at Ino curiously. "So, you've been sleeping next to my brother-in-law lately?"

Ino flushed and waved her hands frantically. "No, that's not what I meant—"

"Kankuro, please!" Gaara stated harshly. "There's no need to ask such things. That's their business, and it's rude to pry. Besides, no one can blame them for seeking some comfort in these times." Ino caught the distant glint in the Kazekage's eyes. She could imagine he had experienced his own losses in the past few weeks. "Now, then; Shikamaru, I trust Naruto assigned you to escort us to our accommodations?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes. You're the first ones here actually. We are expecting the others in the next few days. Naruto's already prepared a room for you two."

Gaara smiled. Knowing the blond, he wouldn't be surprised to find out the room was in the Hokage's own house. "Very well, Shikamaru. Please, lead the way."

Shikamaru bowed and led them away from the wall. As the four of them headed for the main gate, the moon broke out from behind the clouds and beamed down its delicate light upon the murky world.

* * *

When Kiba saw Naruto standing on the other side of the street, his immediate thought was not to approach him. It was a rather absurd thought. Kiba loved Naruto. He was probably the greatest of all the Hokage in his eyes (mostly because of the growth he had seen in him as they had matured together) and a trustworthy and kind man. But his hesitation was not because of a lack of care or admiration. It was more of a sense of detachment on Kiba's behalf, like a man standing on a beach and not knowing if the waves were moving or not.

Despite his sudden tendencies, something in his mind—manifested from added admiration—pushed hard and took a nice turn.

"Naruto!" Kiba called.

The blond hero stopped and turned to his friend. Kiba noted the faded glare in the Hokage's eyes seem to brighten with recognition. "Hey, Kiba."

Kiba nodded and trotted over to him. "What are you doing out here?" It was rare to see the Hokage roaming the village unaccompanied on a normal day. And nothing was normal anymore.

"Just going for a walk," Naruto stated. He looked deflated, his shoulders hunched over and some patchy stubble brushing his chin and cheeks. "My house has been packed for the last couple days, and I needed a break from everybody for a while."

Kiba stiffened. "Do you want to be alone then?"

Naruto smiled weakly at him. It seemed to oddly fit the situation. "Not really."

So, they walked together with no particular destination in mind. As their strides began to match, Kiba asked: "So, what's it like having all the Kage in your house?" It was common knowledge to the rest of the village that Naruto had opened his doors for the emergency Summit.

"Well, they're not all here yet. Mei and Chōjūrō came in yesterday. We're not expecting Darui and his bodyguards until tomorrow, so there's only four out of the five. Still, I'd say it's entertaining. Everyone's pretty good at keeping their space but considering everything that's happened, no one's been especially cheerful lately."

"I'd say that's the same everywhere," Kiba commented dryly.

Naruto merely nodded at that. "Everyone seems fine, though. I'm just glad every current Kage is still alive. Statistically, nothing like that should have happened. We got real lucky."

Kiba smiled. "Guess it just goes to show how tough a Kage is." He had said that hoping to cheer the blond up.

It didn't.

"Yeah," Naruto muttered.

Kiba wanted to ask the standard: 'what's wrong?' right there, but he already knew the answer. It probably wasn't too far from the truth that Naruto didn't feel too tough right now. Hell, nobody did, thought Kiba. They were all grieving, and it was a miracle they were even still alive. Every damn happy thought and determined ideal was grasped tightly, as if hope itself was nothing more than a life preserver amidst a roaring ocean storm. Instead, he settled on taking a sincerer route. "How are you feeling about the Summit?"

Just like the rest of the village, Kiba was uncertain as to what the meeting would be about. Everyone had a general idea, but there was too much fatigue and forlornness for any rumors to be spreading about it.

Naruto stopped his feet then, and Kiba paused next to him. "I'm nervous," admitted Naruto. He had said it so blatantly that Kiba couldn't find the time to respond.

The muscles in Naruto's neck tensed. "There's a lot riding on this meeting, and it all depends on how I handle it."

Kiba's eyes broadened. He was finally starting to really question Naruto's condition. The man was surrounded by people who supported and loved him, but he was currently choosing to walk alone and think. It was honestly out of character for him. So, what did that mean? Kiba wasn't really good at reading people's actions, (that was more Shikamaru's department) so it only left him confused.

If Kiba was a teenager again, he probably wouldn't have said what he did next. "I think you're being too hard on yourself, Naruto. The meeting will be fine, I'm sure."

Kiba didn't like how dull his friend's normally-bright eyes looked. "Only if I'm prepared for it," Naruto blurted. "The others need me to be confident and aware. I can't act scared or uncertain about any of this."

Kiba had never seen Naruto like this, at least in front of him. During the fight against Obito and Madara, the Uchihas' words had affected the blond to the point of feeling quite hopeless after Neji's death. They had all seen that, but that's what had pushed him forward back then. There were less of them now and that meant less strength for their Hokage.

Despite this, Kiba couldn't stand to hear his friend sound so pessimistic. "Don't you think you're being a little too full of yourself?"

Naruto looked like he had been punched in the face. "What?"

"You're not the only one who's stressing out around here."

"I know that, but—"

"No, you don't!" Kiba interjected loudly. "Do you really think that everything will go to shit just because you make a mistake?"

Naruto didn't have an answer to that. Was that how it looked? Was he really being so conceited that he overlooked others? "That wasn't my intention, Kiba," he said slowly. "I just want to do what is right for everyone."

Kiba sighed, his voice softer now. "Don't worry about that. You've already made a plan, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

"Good, then you're already done. We all already have your back. We've already committed to you, you know." Kiba smiled. "That's why you're the Hokage."

When Naruto had left his house for some solitude earlier that day, he had not expected a pep talk from the man who was more influential to emotion than himself. He was pleasantly surprised, and it had been a while since he had experienced such a sensation.

* * *

Darui didn't have time to adjust to his new surroundings. Before he knew it, he and his bodyguards were escorted to the meeting room in the Hokage Tower where the others had gathered.

As they ascended the stairs up to the second floor, following a silent Anbu they met at the gate, Samui whispered in Darui's ear: "This is why you come early."

Darui grunted. "Don't blame me for this one. An emergency Summit on such short notice is not an easy thing to plan for."

"The other Kage didn't seem to have a problem with it," Omoi added.

Darui blinked and looked at the both of them over his shoulder. "Are you two actually upset about us being late?"

Omoi shrugged, and Samui simply said nothing. Darui turned forward and shook his head irritably. Assessing others' emotions under extreme stress right now could not be included in his list of expertise.

They reached the top of the stairs and stood before a pair of heavy, wooden doors. Guarding said doors were Shikamaru and Ino. The two Konoha-nin bowed when they saw their guests approaching.

"Welcome, Raikage- _sama_ and company," said Shikamaru. "I am sorry that I could not meet you at the gate."

Darui bowed his head in response. "No worries. They are all in there, yes?"

Shikamaru's posture straightened. "Yes," He turned and opened the door on his side. "Go right in."

As the party from Kumo entered the meeting room, Ino gazed at Shikamaru from her side of the double doors. "Why aren't you there with them, Shikamaru? You have kind of an important role, you know."

The Nara sighed then and closed the door behind the Anbu. It was just the two of them now. "The first half hour of most meetings just involve procedures and roll call, anyways. We have some time."

Ino turned her entire body to face him. "Time for what?"

Shikamaru's expression was firm, serious. "I'm sorry about the other day, Ino. You were just looking out for me, and I basically spat in your face."

"It's OK—"

"No," he said. "It's not. I allowed my cynicism to affect my actions and push you away. That's not fair to either of us." He paused, and Ino saw him bite his lower lip. "I've just been so _fucked_ up. This ordeal is wrecking my head, and I'm not sure where to stand in all this. I want you to know that I care about you and everyone else. But it's hard to not be selfish in times like these. It feels like everything's against you and wants to hurt you. I never meant to make a big deal about it. I should have just been honest with you in the beginning."

Shikamaru was surprised to see the blonde grinning at him. "You're forgiven," she chided. "I was hoping you'd come to your senses."

Shikamaru flashed a smile. "So, we're good?"

She giggled then. The pleasant sound was music to his ears. "I guess," said Ino. "Although, you're gonna have to start trusting me now."

He nodded. "I can do that."

Ino's smile melted slowly. Her eyes darted to a distant corner and relaxed there. "So, be honest now. What's going on?"

Shikamaru swallowed and relaxed his hands, keeping his palms open. "I'm terrified. I'm terrified of how much despair I'm in. A normal person shouldn't be able to handle this much sadness. You'd think someone could die from how much pain there is in everyone right now."

"In a weird way," Ino said, "it's kind of beautiful, huh?"

Shikamaru felt his mouth open, but he wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't thought about beauty lately.

Ino helped him out. "Who knew humans were capable of such a thing? They say shinobi are meant to endure, but I think that's just a basic human trait. In the face of adversity, we stand and fight against it. Sometimes, people give up on it and can't seem to overcome it. That's OK, I think. It's not supposed to be easy. I think we're doing a pretty good job, though." She gestured at the doors with her thumb. "The meeting in there is all about how we can keep surviving and somehow handle this mess. And I really think that's just beautiful, you know?"

She was right, Shikamaru surmised. It was so easy to be cynical and that was all right because they were still persevering. She wasn't holding it against him and it showed him how strong they all were. It was beautiful. Maybe knowing that was the first step, the first step towards living.

Meanwhile, in the room only a few meters away from the two shinobi, the ideal transition in the meeting was occurring. The introductions and other basic procedures had finally ended, and the five Kage sat around a small table, their respective bodyguards standing around them.

Naruto clapped his hands and smiled politely. "All right. Let's dive into this then." Normally, Shikamaru would be standing as his advisor next to him. But the Nara had told him he would join in a little later in the meeting because he had to tie up a loose end.

Gaara, seated on Naruto's right, nodded. "Agreed. I believe we have much to discuss."

Kurotsuchi, on Naruto's left, scoffed. "You can say that again."

The Mizukage, Mei, sat on her other side, and she cleared her throat. "I think we all have our assumptions about what this meeting will involve, but I think it'd be best to clear the air just in case." Naruto had done a really good job the last few days of not mentioning anything about the meeting to any of them. They had all been living under the same roof too, and he had been rather adamant about not discussing anything about the Summit that entire time.

Darui ran his fingers along his facial hair. "I think that would be best as well." He turned to Naruto. "Well then, Naruto- _san_? Why have you called this Summit?"

Mei's eyes seemed to twinkle from across the table at him. She flashed him a gorgeous smile. "Yes, I believe we are all most curious about this meeting."

Naruto felt refreshed seeing that smile. This was his first Summit as the Hokage, and he was glad Mei was not retired yet. He was certain it wouldn't be long until Chōjūrō took the position, (who was currently standing behind her) but he took Mei's experience and fortitude into account gratefully.

"Right," started the Hokage. "Obviously, we're in a state of crisis right now. I know I was asking a lot out of you all by requesting you to leave your villages for this meeting. I'm aware of the time you've sacrificed by being here, and I promise that I will not waste your time. I'd also prefer to not discuss the virus directly right now. That is a topic we should consider but not for this meeting."

He heard Kurotsuchi huff next to him. "Beating around the bush doesn't really suit you, Naruto- _san_. Just tell us what your plan is, OK?"

He got four respective nods from the others after that. Naruto noted how his shoulders seemed loosen at the reassuring sight. "Fine, I have a plan. I've thought long and hard about what we should do about this outbreak. There's not a lot of options, but I think our best bet is to move." His pause was long and dramatic to make sure everyone was concentrating. "Everything. We move everything to a new place. Somewhere we can all be." There was an array of different expressions in the room. Some of the bodyguards (most notably Samui, although, under the surface she was just as bewildered as everybody else) were stoic. Everybody else, however, had some semblance of confusion etched into their faces.

Darui was the first to raise a question. "Do you mean all the villages? Or just the Five?"

"Ideally, the Five," Naruto answered. "Although, if we can add all the other villages that would be nice too. But I imagine that would be further down the road."

"Do you think it's really necessary?" asked Mei.

Naruto nodded firmly and his jaw hardened. "I do. Staying in our respective villages now will only hinder us in the long run. If we focus all our time individually, we will only be delaying ourselves. Things won't be the same again, so why avoid the change? Instead, we should embrace it."

Gaara leaned forward with his elbows on the table, his eyes bright with intrigue. "Could you explain that a little more, Naruto? What do you mean about avoiding change?"

"None of the villages will ever be what they were," the blond disclosed. "We've lost too many people for that. Everything has changed now. Naturally, we need to change too. Reconstructing the villages won't push towards change, but only allow us to move backwards. If we combine our forces, we will be able make something new. Maybe something greater."

Kurotsuchi folded her arms. "I see where your thinking's going, Naruto- _san_ , but is that really the best course of action? We've been working together for years now, but that doesn't mean combining everything will make the situation better."

Naruto calmly lifted his hand. "It worked during the war, right?"

Kurotsuchi frowned. "That was different."

"Not really," added Mei. She placed her elbows on the table and smiled across from them. "Back then, we all centered around one specific goal. We could do the same again."

"But we all had our own supremacy then," Kurotsuchi said. "Under one unified village, we'd lose that individual power."

Gaara jumped in: "And what's wrong with that? I think we should all be willing to give up that power if it's what's best for everyone."

Darui nodded. "I agree with Kazekage- _san_. I like this plan. Kumo doesn't have the heart to continue alone any longer."

"Exactly," Naruto stated with a thumbs-up. "This plan's main point is to increase hope in everyone. Humans change for the sake of something better out there. We need that, now more than ever."

Kurotsuchi leaned back into her chair and sighed. "Is this really the best way to go about it? To leave the safety of our homes? I can't help but think that will lessen hope rather than increase it."

Mei shook her head. "If I may be frank, Kurotsuchi- _sama_ , I believe you're wrong about that." The Tsuchikage quirked an eyebrow at the other woman, but allowed her to continue. "When I overthrew the past Mizukage's tyrannical office in Kiri, I made sure to change all I could in order to eradicate as much of the past memories as possible from my citizens. To put it simply, I had to move a lot of families out of their homes. Originally, I thought as you do now and felt that it would only cause more harm than good. Thankfully, I was wrong. It ended up making Kiri far stronger and gave it a lot more room to grow."

Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed. "Is it a good idea to base a decision like this off mere experience, Mei- _san_?"

Mei beamed at her. "We don't have much else to work with, do we?" Kurotsuchi was unsure if that was meant to be sarcastic.

The Tsuchikage looked at all of them. "And what about the Daimyo? Are they supposed to just accept this development?"

Darui sighed. "Most of them are dead, anyways. Even the ones who are alive are probably too occupied with their own lives to worry about their countries. I believe that system is fallen for good this time."

Kurotsuchi slumped her shoulders. "I hate how easily I'm being convinced over here. Are we all willing to change the whole system, though? I mean the shinobi might become non-existent if we go through with this."

"I don't think completely," said Naruto. "I think it will just change, along with everything else."

Kurotsuchi took a moment to look at the blond. His eyes were set and resolved. She remembered seeing how strong he was with the support around him during the war. The man was capable of amazing things as they had all seen first-hand. Perhaps she could trust him again. "Very well, Naruto- _san._ It would seem the others believe in your plan, so I guess I will too." A sad smile enveloped her lips. "I think my grandfather would have done the same."

"I think so too," said the Hokage.

Mei raised her hands up cheerfully. "Splendid! Now then, did you have a place in mind for this new village, Naruto- _sama_?"

"Actually, if I may intrude, I believe I can answer that question," said a low voice at the front of the room.

All eyes in the room became fixated on the man who stood there. Naruto grinned happily when he saw his advisor finally join them. Took him long enough, he thought. "Shikamaru, here, sent out a team several days ago to search for an ideal location," the Hokage explained.

Shikamaru bowed his head. "Yes, and I believe we have several options. I would like to focus on one in particular, although, I do expect some opposition toward it."

"And why is that?" asked Gaara.

Shikamaru stood tall as he made his proposition. "According to the scouting team's observations, the area that would be most suitable for a village of such a large size and diverse population would be the battleground where the war was fought."

There were a few good seconds of collective silence among the Kage until Darui said: "You mean where we all fought Obito and Madara?"

"The same," answered Shikamaru.

"You mean that giant crater?!" yelled Kurotsuchi. "Are you kidding me? Aren't we supposed to be raising morale?"

Gaara stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. I think such a place might actually possess a beneficial impact. We did _win_ there, after all. Does it not make sense to celebrate such a victory by building a place of hope there?"

Kurotsuchi blinked. "It just seems a little…I don't know…unsettling."

Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. "I know. I feel the same way. But I think we could make it work. It's definitely big enough. My fight with Obito cleared away enough trees for us to have a lot to work with. There's also plenty of resources in the area for us to use." Naruto wished Yamato had survived the outbreak. His skills would have been invaluable in their reconstruction.

"It's also not too far from most of the villages, so migrating there shouldn't prove to be too difficult," added Shikamaru. "Although, I'm afraid Kiri will not have an easy journey."

Mei held her hand up and waved it dismissively. "That's not a big deal. Most of us are used to traveling by the sea anyways.

Naruto placed his hands on the table. "We can discuss the details accordingly at a later time, but first we need to make sure we're all agreed. I say we vote officially on it." He raised his bandaged hand. "All those in favor of creating a new, unified village?"

Everyone immediately raised their hand except Kurotsuchi. Naruto looked at her, puzzled. "What?" she asked with a playful smile. "I said I'd believe in you." She raised her hand with a chuckle.

Naruto looked around the table, seeing the approval and optimism in the faces he saw there.

They could do this, he mused.

They could change.

* * *

After the Summit was disbanded and another meeting concerning the logistics around their new decision was scheduled for the next day, Naruto found himself sitting at his desk in his office. He was filtering through the scouting team's reports when he heard a knock on the door.

Naruto was sure it was Sakura, coming to get as much information about the meeting as she could. "Come in," he signaled.

His breath hitched in perplexity at seeing one of the last people he had been expecting. "Hokage- _sama_?" Samui called out. She entered the room calmly and confidently enough, but there was a mix of hesitation and intimidation in her sky-blue eyes.

Naruto could not suppress his surprise. "Um…" Damn, he knew the face. She was the leader of Omoi and Karui's old team back during the war, but he totally forgot her name. "Sorry, but you are…?"

"Samui, sir. I apologize for the sudden intrusion."

"That's alright," Naruto stated sheepishly. "And please don't be so formal. I prefer it when people talk to me like a friend."

Samui's eyes widened. It had been some time since she last interacted with the blond. She recalled the time when Karui had beaten his face to an almost-unrecognizable level. She forgot how cheerful and charismatic he was. There was also something familiar about the way he smiled. "Very well, then. Um, Naruto- _san_?"

"That'll do, I suppose." He sighed pleasantly. "What can I do for you, Samui?"

"Yes, well, I just came to express my gratitude."

Naruto noted the way her face appeared so stoic. There was a hardened significance to it, not one developed from hardship but through a sense of personality. It was a little similar to how Sasuke acted, but he thought it was a little more endearing on a woman. "About what?" he asked.

Her feet shifted. "About the plan to make a unified village. I think it's an amazing idea."

Naruto could tell it was not in her nature to do something like this. She seemed to be out of her element and that showed him how much this meant to her. He gave her an easy smile. "You're welcome. I'm glad you feel that way. We need a lot of support for it to work out, so I appreciate your feelings."

Samui's eyes were directed to the floor. She was normally incredibly confident, even in front of Kage, but she had the sudden urge to be vulnerable with the blond. Her face was betraying her, revealing her uncertainty. It was rare for her to do so, but there was something about the Hokage's nature that made a person want to tell him what they were thinking. "It's just—" There was a bloated second between them before she could collect her thoughts. "I didn't realize how much I wanted a plan like that. How much I _needed_ it."

She looked up to see a shocking sight. Naruto was showing some vulnerability too.

He looked sad.

"I think I need it too, Samui. More than I can imagine."

"Do you think such a change will really help us?"

"I think it's the only thing that will."

She nodded at that and collected herself. Her face was as stoic as ever now. "I understand. Thank you, Naruto- _san_. That's all I wanted to say."

"Very good. Thanks for coming in, Samui. Seriously, your words meant a lot to me." The smile he shot her made her feet move a little quicker than she wanted them to. She turned and reached for the door. Before she left the room, she turned to look at the blond. "I don't normally do this kind of thing, you know."

There was a beam of light that seemed to shoot from the nearby window and illuminate the man, as if it was illustrating some cosmic point. "I think that's why it means a lot to me." There was so much sincerity in his tone that Samui almost slammed the door before she could say anything else.

"Good to hear," she stammered. "Have a good night, Naruto- _san_."

As Samui left the Hokage Tower, she sensed her heart was lighter than it had been. It was like she had suddenly surfaced from the water and felt cleaned and refreshed by it. Maybe anyone whoever interacted Naruto ended up feeling like that, but for some unknown reason, Samui hoped it was only unique to her.

* * *

 **I'm so glad I managed to finish this. Considering how busy this week is for me, I shouldn't have been able to find the time. But you guys have been patient, so I felt like rewarding all of you. I graduate from college next week, so these next several days are going to be really crazy for me. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.**

 **Let me know what you thought of the chapter. Seriously, your reviews really help me out a lot. I feel so much more connected with all of you because of them, so please continue doing them. Thanks!**

 **-CM**


	6. Under the Air

Chapter 6: Under the Air

" _How many things have to happen to you before something occurs to you?"_ _  
_

 _-Robert Frost_

* * *

"How should we start this then, Nara- _san_?" asked Mei from her side of the table.

Shikamaru shifted some papers in an order he could work with. "Yes, well, it would seem we have yet to cover the village reports as of late. I think it would benefit everyone here if we evaluate the status of all the hidden villages."

The small table was quiet for a moment. The morning light brushed through the circled windows surrounding them. There was a mutual, complicated feeling of bewilderment and odd levity that drifted around the inhabitants of the room.

Kurotsuchi was the first to fully establish this shared feeling. "Why are we just doing this now?"

Darui seemed to actually chuckle at this. "That's a good question. It seems we got ahead of ourselves."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sorry about that everyone." He had been so nervous about the idea at the time that skipping over everything else seemed to have been the logical choice.

Luckily, nobody (even Kurotsuchi) seemed to mind that much at the moment.

"Well then, I'll start," Gaara offered as he stood up from his seat. "As I'm sure is already obvious to all of you, Suna has experienced a great many casualties since the beginning of the outbreak. To my understanding, we are not sure who was the first to procure the virus in our village, but we do know that there was a large number of victims the first day it was reported." Gaara could tell by the looks of disgust and regret in the Kage's eyes that their affairs had not been that different. "Our Medical Corps was hit especially hard by the outbreak, so we suffered a great number of losses. Unfortunately, the psychological impact of the virus has taken its toll as well. The suicide rate has been exponentially high among the survivors in our village." He didn't need to clarify the source of that fact because nobody was going to ask. Gaara's next words came out choked, rugged. "My own family has been afflicted by the virus too…"

Shikamaru moved to save the Kazekage from his close breakdown. "Gaara- _san_ , could you give us the number of casualties and survivors that Suna has?" The Nara was gripping as much professional speech as he could. Somehow, it grounded the atmosphere. "It will aid our planning comprehension."

Gaara nodded and took a long, deep breath. "Of course, Shikamaru- _san_. Before the outbreak, our population was estimated at twenty thousand shinobi and forty thousand civilians. We've lost a significant majority of that. We have approximately two thousand shinobi and five thousand civilians still in healthy conditions."

Shikamaru wrote down the number in his records. He wanted fiercely for it to be like any other stagnant number, as if he was only documenting how many provisions they had left in storage after a harsh winter. "Thank you," he said. Gaara sat down and looked to Mei who was seated next to him.

Mei's eyes seemed to focus on Gaara for a moment longer before she sighed. "I don't like to attempt to be casual over matters like these, my fellow Kage. But for fear of being redundant, I'll try to get this over with."

Naruto appeared to concentrate on that and lowered his head. "Thank you, Mei. We all appreciate your transparency."

She smiled at the young man. "My, you've grown up considerably, Naruto- _sama_." The smile evaporated when her next sentence fell. "Kiri has had more casualties, I'm afraid. Granted, our population was a little higher than Suna's, but I believe percentage-wise, it is still greater." She turned her head towards Shikamaru. "We were at seventy thousand citizens total at the beginning. Twenty-five thousand of that were shinobi and the other forty-five thousand were civilians."

"And the current surviving population?" Shikamaru asked.

Mei's face was still fresh and pretty for a woman in her early forties, but the wrinkled lines around her mouth showed then. They appeared to be deep like scars. "Six thousand total. Three thousand shinobi and three thousand civilians."

Everyone in the room reacted to the overwhelming number. Naruto felt his jaw clamp shut and his shoulders narrow. "Even less than Suna?" he remarked. "But why? Why so few?"

Mei moved her head to the side and lifted a hand to filter through her long, vibrant hair. "According to our scientists, it would seem the virus thrives in warm, humid climates." A cold, fragile smile crept along her lips. "It seemed to really like Kiri."

Darui stood up from his seat. His eyes quivered, as if they were dancing to some tragic melody. "May I go next?"

Shikamaru stared openly at the Raikage. "Please, go ahead."

Darui straightened his posture. "I don't feel there's much need to point out the effect of the virus on Kumo, but it is worth mentioning that our suicide rate has not been too high. At least, comparatively speaking." Darui checked Gaara's expression to see if he had been insensitive just then. All he saw was Gaara's vacant eyes scanning him for information. "Kumo had thirty thousand shinobi and fifty thousand civilians within its walls before the virus." Gaara noted how Darui's hands clenched into fists. "We now possess six thousand shinobi and ten thousand civilians." Darui's head dropped, and Samui seemed to copy his posture behind him. "I wish it were more," he confessed.

Naruto looked at him sadly. "We all do, Darui."

Suddenly, Samui stepped forward. "If it is permittable, may I say something to the committee?" She received so many shocked expressions from around the table that instant regret battered against her.

Shikamaru held his pen in place and bolstered a lax jaw. "Er…yes, I suppose. Go right ahead."

Naruto placed his hands in his lap and seemed to be engrossed by the woman. From what his instincts were telling him, this was highly unusual behavior on her part. His hypothesis was confirmed by the distinguishable and expressive look Darui was directing toward her.

Darui kept his tone low. "What are you doing, Samui?"

Samui ignored him, although it wasn't based in disrespect and he knew that. "I understand." She bowed promptly. "Thank you." When she stood up, her face was solid, firm. "I think it would benefit everyone here to know that the Raikage has endured many hardships these past few weeks. He truly did everything in his power to help his people. Not only did he frequently visit the hospital wards and attend to as many of the infected as possible, he also planned a successful system to handle the outbreak as effectively as possible given the small number of able-bodied citizens. I understand the Hokage has executed a similar system for Konoha, and I think it is worthy of saying that the Raikage did all of this while barely taking time to rest. He also accomplished all of this while his own family was suffering from the disease!" At first, the occupants of the room seemed to be uncomfortable and taken aback by the announcement but as Samui kept speaking, their expressions changed to ones of admiration and apperception. Darui was stoic, but Naruto could sense the level of esteem he had for her.

Samui's eyes were beginning to water. She wasn't going to not let him stand out. He had done so much for Kumo. They _had_ to know that. She pointed to Darui, and her head shook with emotion. "He advocated for all of us, even the ones who were doomed from the start. Please, acknowledge the Raikage. I beg all of you to notice what he did for us. I know we're all just talking numbers, but please understand how hard he tried." She looked down at the floor, embarrassed by how emotional she was being. "I know all of you have done your very best as well. My intention was not to exaggerate the Raikage's feats and neglect all of yours. I simply wanted to represent him correctly." Her voice weakened, and she sounded like a scared little girl. "He did so much for all of us."

Shikamaru had felt the need to affirm her words, but Gaara was the one to ultimately console her. "Thank you for kindness," the Kazekage said. His eyes were full and kind when Samui considered them. "I'm sure all of us here acknowledge Darui- _san_ 's efforts, and I can personally say how thankful I am for your sincerity. It is not often that a bodyguard has so much to say. It is clear you care for your leader and we're all very appreciative of that."

Naruto grinned at her. She felt immediate happiness from such a pure smile. "Gaara's right. We know Darui's done a lot. Despite that, you still felt the urge to vouch for him. That shows some merit, you know. Darui's a lucky guy to have someone as caring as you."

Samui felt her face get hot from the compliment. Mei placed her chin in her hand and scanned her with a pleasant smile. "Indeed. A subordinate like you is hard to come by."

Samui turned to Darui. She didn't even need to hear his next words; she already felt them. "Thank you, Samui."

The meeting continued, and the tension seemed to have left the room. The miracle of encouragement had elevated the mood to a jubilant degree.

Kurotsuchi addressed the assembly without standing up. She was professional and reserved. "Iwa's population has typically been the lowest out of all the villages, so it should be to no one's surprise that we had about fifteen thousand shinobi and thirty thousand civilians before the virus came. After all of the casualties, we now have about five thousand shinobi and eight thousand civilians left."

Shikamaru scribbled down the information and turned to Naruto. He already knew the numbers, but it was best for the Hokage to still report it to the other leaders. Naruto stood tall from his chair. Except for Darui, (who was several centimeters past the blond) he towered over the other leaders. "As all of you know by now, Konoha underwent quite the population boom since the war. We boasted just over a hundred thousand citizens when I was given the position of Hokage. Thirty thousand were shinobi and the rest were civilians." His face contorted, and he grappled with the truth, trying to suppress its cruelty. "We now have eight thousand shinobi and twelve thousand civilians." His body shook, and he placed his hand over his heart to clasp his jacket. And it's not enough, he thought. Not nearly enough.

Shikamaru scrawled a few more notes across his documents and took a deep breath. "All right, thank you all for the reports. Given the numbers, the general population of the Five Nations before the outbreak was approximately three hundred and thirty-five thousand citizens. We currently have a total population of roughly sixty-two thousand citizens still alive. There are twenty-four thousand shinobi and thirty-eight thousand civilians between all of us."

Those numbers seemed to sink into everybody in silence as the full reality of their issues were in the air now. Those statistics couldn't be argued with, after all. They were real, like the deaths they signified.

"So few," Mei commented. "Do we have any news of Mifune- _sama_ and his samurai?"

Gaara's eyes were closed when he answered that unfair question. "Tetsu no Kuni has informed us that Mifune- _san_ has passed away along with the majority of his samurai troops. Their land is in a place of turmoil right now and I doubt we will be hearing anything more from them for the time being."

"And what are we planning to do with these numbers, exactly?" Kurotsuchi inquired, moving back to the crux of the conversation.

Shikamaru gestured to Naruto, and the Hokage took the floor. "We know what we're working with now. We can begin plans for the unified village now. By combining all of our survivors together, we should be able to create something new; a place where we could really take a stand against this epidemic."

Kurotsuchi pursed her lips. "I see. And what were plans for that again?"

"Well, we could—"

"Because to me, it sounds like you haven't really thought this through, Naruto- _san_ ," she interjected. Naruto was startled by the interruption, but he didn't capitalize on it. Clearly, the Tsuchikage had something to say, and she was going to get it out. "Have we really thought about any of this? It's been _three weeks_! How can any of us possibly be thinking about the future right now? Iwa is chaotic right now, my people are still dying and I'm here discussing these frivolous matters with you. I understand that a unified village sounds ideal right now. Hell, it's probably the only thing that's really going to work in the long run. But we've barely been introduced to this commitment and it's a big one! We haven't even really discussed the virus itself yet."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "I understand your concern, Tsuchikage- _sama_ , but—"

"No, I don't think you really do, I'm afraid." She scanned the table with a scornful eye. "I don't think any of us have. Grief is a great mask, you know. It's pretty easy for it to cover things we wouldn't normally overlook. I know I already said I was for it, but we can't just jump in to something so unbelievably significant. Do we know the terrain of this location we discussed well yet? Have we evaluated if it's farmable or usable at all? Do we know if it's possible to move all of our people there? Will we lose more lives in the process of migration? Even if we do set up this village, what will our system look like? The laws? What about our government? Will there be one ruler or a council of sorts? What will the village layout be like? What will our economy look like? Have we honestly thought about any of this?"

There were scattered glances exchanged between the leaders in the silence that followed. The bodyguards seemed to be rigid and nervous at the bombardment of questions yet remained vigilant and quiet in their positions. Shikamaru brought his hand up and spoke first: "I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. Obviously, all of these questions and more will be handled in due time."

Naruto nodded and placed his elbows on the table; his hands were out to appeal to the woman next to him. "Yeah, Kurotsuchi. I know there's a lot that will go into it. But realistically, we can't answer all those questions now."

Kurotsuchi leaned in and her voice was heavier, darker. "Then why am I here?"

Naruto's eyes widened and before he could say anything, Shikamaru addressed everyone. "I think we should adjourn this meeting for now. Clearly, we're all a little rattled right now. I think we should continue this meeting in the morning."

There was a general murmur of agreement and shuffling of chairs as the leaders began to exit. For a long time, after everybody had gone, Naruto sat at the table alone, contemplating the pitfalls of his idea.

* * *

When a state of chaos begins, it does not take long for humans to draw their own conclusions. Within those conclusions, there lies only more chaos because when order has been shredded, then it must continue being broken. Fortunately, the shock of the outbreak in the citizens of Konoha had delayed this phenomenon. However, the realization was inevitable. The first individual to have this revelation of disorder was a young boy, barely fourteen.

The boy stood in front of the empty store, the glass doors locked securely there. The store was in such pristine condition that a passerby wouldn't have believed it had been closed for three weeks now. The boy stood there, staring at the doors with a wide expression. His stance was neutral, as if he was merely waiting for a friend to pick him up. But that expression of his carried his hidden intention, and it was not hidden to the one watching him.

Anko peered around the corner a few meters away from the boy. She had been watching him for some time now, waiting for him to make his move. When she had initially stumbled upon his bizarre expression, her shinobi training had kicked in, and she went into reconnaissance mode.

She was so focused on the boy that when a hand touched her shoulder, she almost screamed out loud and revealed her position. Instead, she launched an instinctual fist behind her. It was met with an open palm and a masked face.

"Hello," Kakashi muttered.

Anko blinked and whispered harshly. "What the fuck, Kakashi? Don't sneak up on me."

Kakashi's eyes flickered around the corner and caught the boy's stance. He was not aware of their presence yet. "Sorry. You watching that kid?"

Anko eyed the boy again. "Yes. Do you see the way he's staring at that store?"

Kakashi nodded. "Will he do anything, you think?"

Her eyes narrowed, scrutinizing over every possibility. "I don't know. Probably."

Kakashi took a step forward. He almost crossed past the corner and revealed his presence, but Anko grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. She pushed him away from the corner and could feel her heartrate quicken. "The hell are you doing?"

Kakashi's signature bored face stared back at her. In most circumstances, she had considered that look to be cool, even sexy, but this time around it annoyed her. "Why don't we stop him?" he asked. "You know before he actually does it?"

Anko sighed. "Because we don't know if he'll do anything." She knew full well if she approached him, the boy would just run off terrified. Of course, she didn't want the teen to get himself into trouble, but there was another reason why Anko wanted to bide her time; she wanted to see if he was willing to do it.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Are you kidding? It's obvious what he's going to do if we don't do anything."

Anko rolled her eyes. The current situation was starting to make her feel like her old self again. "I know but would you just relax and—"

Suddenly, they heard a crash and their heads whipped towards the direction of the sound. They saw the boy hastily run through a hole in the glass doors that had not been there before. Anko turned to Kakashi with something akin to a grin. "Let's go." She vanished in a haze, and Kakashi was right behind her.

They flashed into the store and saw the boy rummaging through the shelves. He was in the process of stuffing cartons of noodles, wrapped packages of sweets, and some bottled drinks into his arms and pockets. When the boy noticed he was not alone, he turned to stare at the two shinobi with broad eyes, bloodshot and frenetic.

Kakashi brought his hand out calmly and offered it out to him. He gave the boy his most gentle smile. "Hey there, it's OK. You know what you're doing there, right?"

The boy dropped the items he had been holding on the floor and a glimmer of light shined near his hand. "I-I'm not doing anything! I'm just hungry, OK?" The boy knew full well who he was addressing now, (the Rokudaime was hard to miss) but reason had been thrown out the door the second the glass broke.

Anko's tone was light, almost forgiving. "I bet you are. It's fine. But this isn't yours to take, now is it? How about you come with us and we can—"

"No!" the boy screamed. He brought his hand up and showed his weapon, a jagged sliver of glass. "I'm not going anywhere! I'm not doing anything wrong. The owner of this store's dead, so why can't I just take what I want? It's just wasting away in here anyways."

Kakashi was calm and brought his hand close to his chest. "Put that down, boy. You're going to hurt yourself. We're shinobi. We're here to help."

"What help!" he cried. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "None of you have done anything! Everybody's dead! My little brother's sick now too, and he needs food!"

"I'm sure your parents will—" Anko started.

"They're dead, lady! I've done nothing _wrong_! I'm just getting food!" The boy's grip tightened around the glass, and blood began to form in his hand.

Anko's shoulders squared, and she stepped forward. "Drop that now," she demanded lowly. There was an edge to her voice that made even Kakashi flinch. "You're bleeding."

The kid brandished the glass out and shook it needlessly. "Shut up! You're not the boss of me! The system's over now, isn't it? Why do you care about what I do?"

Anko's face was made of steel; it didn't move. "Because there are still laws, kid. Now put it down, or I will make you put it down."

Kakashi brought his hands up, and smiled sheepishly. "Now, now what she's trying to say is that we should all calm down. No one's in trouble here."

The boy shook his head and blood dripped from his hand. "Don't you get it? Nothing's the same now. There's no such thing as trouble anymore!"

The boy took a step and brought his hand back. He was surprisingly quick for his age, but Anko was faster. Without missing a beat, she lunged forward, grabbed the boy's wrist, and twisted it. "I said drop it," she hissed through gritted teeth. The boy winced, and the glass fell harmlessly out of his hand. He attempted to struggle but Anko twisted his arm, and he submitted to his knees.

Anko grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up. Kakashi looked on with fascination. "You're hurting me," the boy said.

Anko glared at him. "You hurt yourself." She turned to Kakashi, and he saw something in her that he would have expected to see in a graveyard. "Let's take him to the hospital."

Kakashi merely nodded.

They half-dragged the boy to the hospital and when they admitted him, the nurse in the front lobby seemed surprised.

"I'm sorry?" clarified the nurse. "He was doing what?"

Anko tried not to display her irritation and clamped down on her lips. "He was robbing a store. Could you just clean up his hand and watch him? We don't exactly have a penal system right now." Most of the shinobi in charge of such affairs were either deceased (along with the majority of the prisoners) or attending alternative emergency matters in the other sanctioned teams.

The nurse held the boy's good hand. Said teenager was staring at the floor with hollow eyes. "I understand. We've just now seen a decline in patients." The nurse paused, and her eyes became not unlike the boy's. "Although, our morgue is packed."

Anko showed no outward empathy for her. But she felt it. Oh, she felt it. "Thank you. The boy also mentioned a little brother who seems to have the virus. I think it would be best if you found him and admitted him to a room along with the boy."

The young teenager glowered at Anko. "Not that it'll matter. Whether he dies here or at home won't mean anything."

The nurse nodded. "We'll take care of it." Anko's teeth grinded as the nurse pulled the boy away from them. "Come along now."

She felt a calm hand rest on her shoulder. "Relax," Kakashi said.

To Anko's astonishment, the feeling seemed to cool her down. "Is he right, Kakashi? Does it matter?"

Even though she wasn't looking at him, she knew he was frowning. "I think you're interpreting that at a deeper level than he was."

"Can we leave?" she asked, sounding unsure.

"Where?"

"Anywhere. I just need to _move_."

They exited the hospital and ventured down a road that led towards the edge of the village. Their footsteps shuffled along the packed dirt of the path and carried some obscure weariness with them. Such steps could never outrun problems, but they could ignore them. Maybe if they were lucky, they could have even been forgotten.

"What happened back there?" asked Kakashi as the high walls of Konoha's border loomed next to them. "It's been a while since I've seen you like that."

"I don't know," Anko confessed. "I lost my cool. I mean I was in control still, and I don't think I went too far…but—"

Kakashi waited for her to say something and when she didn't, he inquired: "But what?"

"Why the fuck did he do that, Kakashi?" She brought her hand to her forehead and shook it. "He knew he could have gotten food from the town square's general supplies. They're giving it out to everybody. There's plenty of food. So why steal?"

Kakashi's eyes sharpened. "I don't think it was for a practical reason." He continued his thought when he received a confused glance from his companion. "I think he's just the first."

"The first what?"

Kakashi faced forward, and Anko could observe his lower jaw tighten slightly underneath his mask. "During the Third Great War, my team and I encountered a small village close to the border of Kaze no Kuni. We had gotten there before the enemy and had decided to set up a sort of base there. The thing was that it was nothing special; it was just a simple village. But the villagers were terrified when we got there. They kept asking us if we were going to battle there and if they should evacuate. We knew that if they left then the huge crowd of refugees would alert the enemy to our position, so we told them to stay put. Some of the villagers seemed to understand our predicament, but most of them were frantic with worry." Anko saw Kakashi's fingers flex. "We were there for three days. We never encountered the enemy once, but they all died. They became chaotic by the third day. They became so frightened that they lost control and began killing those who they were suspicious of, claiming there were spies among them. We had managed to avoid the killings, but we had been powerless to stop it. It turned into a real shit show, and it all started with one person who lost their composure."

Anko exhaled slowly. "So, what are you getting at exactly?" She had a pretty good idea, but it was better to not assume.

"I'm saying that humans are their own worst enemies," he stated. "They can create some terrible realities that were never meant to exist, and no one's to blame for it. Those villagers allowed themselves to be controlled by fear and became desperate. That's what happens when extreme tragedy afflicts people. They forget about morals and more about survival." Kakashi's eyes narrowed, as if the object he was looking for would just appear in front of him. "The ironic part is that they don't survive at all."

They both stopped then and looked at each other. Neither party was sure of what the other was thinking. Anko swallowed and wondered why her throat felt so dry. After the break of silence, she finally admitted what she knew was true: "And that's what's happening here."

"Exactly," Kakashi nodded with his eyes closed. "I'm afraid that if things don't change, and change _soon_ , then it's going to get worse."

"Naruto won't let that happen, right?" She seemed to fidget with her lips, and her voice dropped an octave. "You won't let that happen, right Kakashi?"

His eyes opened and fastened themselves to her. She had once known those eyes to be different with one of them being red, but now they were same, dark and piercing. "I won't," he promised. "I won't let it."

Before either of them really knew it, they were embracing one another. Kakashi could feel Anko shaking slightly in his arms and he was thankful for that much because if she wasn't, he would have been doing the same thing.

* * *

Sakura was by herself when Naruto walked into the lab that night. Her hair was done up into that standard ponytail she always utilized whenever she had gotten serious in her work.

When Sakura felt Naruto's large hand settle into the small of her back, she smiled and turned to him. "Come to nag me about sleep?" she teased.

Naruto smiled politely at that and leaned against the counter where she had been working. There were dispersed papers all over, covered in messy handwriting. Some were crumbled up and discarded around the floor. The machines in the room were state-of-the-art and were mainly comprised of computer screens and scientific equipment. The blond folded his arms. "No, although it looks like I should be. Where's Shizune?"

Sakura looked down at some papers and began typing some numbers into a nearby keyboard. "I sent her and everybody else home for the night. Normally, I would have left by now too, but Shizune mentioned she was close to a breakthrough, so I wanted to keep working."

"For a cure?" Naruto said, unable to conceal his eagerness.

"No, unfortunately. But she thinks we're close to figuring out how the virus works, which will help us reach a cure."

"Well, what do you have already?"

Sakura looked up from her screen and looked at him. "A lot, actually. Most of it would probably go right over your head but basically, we know the virus pushes the human immune system so far that it exhausts itself and shuts down. After that, it then targets the body's organs and with no immune system to work against it, the host cannot survive. What's remarkable is how consistent it is across the board. It seems to lock in on the immune system and take almost a definite set time to exhaust it."

Naruto blinked. "It can do all that? Is that natural?"

Sakura shook her head, and her lips thinned into a singular line. "No, it's almost as if it's programmed. Considering its lethality, it's amazing how this hasn't affected everyone on the planet."

"So, are you saying someone actually created this thing? Why would they do that?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if it is artificial for certain yet. There's a lot I still don't know. If we could just figure out what makes us immune to it, then we should be able to develop some sort of vaccine."

Naruto looked at her grimly. "Do you think it's too late for that, Sakura- _chan_?"

Her eyes glazed over, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know. We can answer that once we've made one, OK? I just need to figure this out."

Naruto scratched his cheek. "It seems the researchers in Kiri were able to find out that the virus likes humid areas. Mei mentioned it today during the Summit meeting."

Sakura brought a finger up to her chin. "That's pretty consistent with our data. A climate like Kiri's would allow the virus to have an even broader host range than others. Still, how are some individuals unaffected by it then?" She sighed then and rubbed her eyes. "What else did you discuss in the meeting?"

Naruto groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, well, we all reported our number of survivors to each other."

"That's good then! It would be good to see those numbers in here. Do you have them on you?"

"Shikamaru has them. I can have him send them over in the morning." He smirked. "Giving them to you now wouldn't give you any time to sleep, you know."

She reached up and undid her hair, allowing it to freely brush against her shoulders. "I guess. Was that all you talked about?"

Naruto's eyelids lowered. "Kurotsuchi broke down the idea about the village. She was pretty brutal too. I'm worried she's going to give up on it."

Sakura smiled kindly. "I'm sure she's just upset, Naruto. You can't hold it against her."

"I know, but she doesn't understand that it's the only way we can progress through all this."

"Well, did she say she wasn't for it?"

"No, but—"

"Then, she's probably just being careful," Sakura said. "It sounds like your priorities are different. There's nothing wrong with that. There simply needs to be a basic agreement between you and her. She's a leader too, you know. She's looking out for her people first."

"That's just it; the war showed us that we weren't confined to our villages anymore. We're all on the same team, so we might as well as work as one. We've been reduced so greatly by what's happened that we need to band together now."

Her hand reached out and squeezed his arm. "I know that, Naruto. I don't think you need to convince the Tsuchikage that your idea is good. You just need to prioritize a little more. She probably wants a little more clarity on the subject, so just talk to her."

Naruto rubbed his chin with his hand absentmindedly. "You're right, Sakura- _chan_. I'll do that then tomorrow." He leaned his back against the counter. "So, you want to get out of here? It's been a long day."

Sakura smiled and began to organize her papers for the night. "Yeah, I guess I should." After she was done consolidating, she took her coat and turned off the machines that needed to cool down for the night.

As she and Naruto exited the lab, the blond turned to close the door and felt Sakura's frame clutching her back. They stood there in the empty hallway for some time until he heard her cracked tone. "Will this ever end, Naruto?"

Naruto could feel her sadness then. He dressed himself in it, hoping to take on as much as he could for her. If only his own weight wasn't so heavy…

"I don't know, Sakura- _chan_ ," he said. "I really don't."

* * *

 **Woo! I'm all done with my undergraduate degree! I gotta say, I'm gonna miss it, but it's nice having some real freedom in my life now. Anyways, I'm glad to get this chapter out for the time being. Things should be slowing down for the summer for me, so I should have more time for writing over the next few months. As always, if you have any questions or comments you would like to make, please feel free to send them my way.**

 **-CM**


	7. Permanence

Chapter 7: Permanence

" _No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear."_

 _-C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed_

* * *

What the hell had she been thinking?

Samui covered her face with her hands. Her foot skidded across the roof tiles, and she dropped her body to lay there. The dark sky opened before her and the stars brought her some company. For a brief moment, she wondered if they cared at all, if they ever asked themselves questions about the inhabitants of this dreary planet. Maybe they pondered on their sad little lives and wished they could help.

Samui sighed. She had made a mistake, and just like most people who realized when they did this, she ruminated over it. There had been absolutely no reason to act the way she did at the meeting, and she knewthat even _before_ she had said anything. So, why the hell did she do it? Everyone's reaction to it had been natural, like they were observing some terrible accident occurring in front of them, but the impulse at the time had been too strong for her to resist.

She balled her hands into fists and smacked them against the roof. She grunted and rolled to the side. Suddenly, a cloaked figure jumped up from the side of the house and landed next to her. Samui sat up in surprise but quickly recognized who it was.

Darui nodded to her and looked around. "What are you doing up? It's barely three in the morning."

Samui shook her head. "Sorry, Raikage- _sama._ I couldn't sleep. All of us under the Hokage's roof tends to make a person like me uncomfortable."

He drew back his cloak and seated himself next to her. "I see. Does the fact that we're far from home also have an effect?"

"Yeah," she said sadly. "But that's not the half of it, I suppose."

"I'm sure I could guess on what the real problem is."

She smirked. "Definitely, I assume it'd be obvious." She folded her arms over her knees and settled the lower part of her face into them. "I messed up."

Darui scratched the tuft of blonde hair that poked out from his chin. "How exactly?"

She shot him an incredulous look. "I spoke out of turn. I vouched for you when there wasn't need to."

Darui was a little startled to see Samui speaking casually with him. If that wasn't a testament to how much she was bothered, then nothing would be. "Who said there was no need to?"

"Please, Raikage- _sama—_ "

"Right now, I'm Darui, OK?"

His smile calmed her and allowed her to accept. "Very well, Darui. I'm sure it was clear to everyone in there that I embarrassed myself. No one doubted you and for me to even hint it implied that I was not confident in your abilities in the beginning, or at the very least, that I doubted their observation skills on the matter. It wasn't cool of me."

"Hmm," he muttered. "That might be true. Some of them probably thought that, but that doesn't mean you were actually doubting anybody, doesn't it?"

"I suppose so, but it was still uncalled for."

"Then why did you say it?"

She shut her eyes tightly and rubbed them with her palms. "I don't know! I just felt like I had to, like we were being forgotten and I had to remind everyone that we were there. It's this terrible tragedy, you know? It makes me feel like nothing matters anymore, like there's a dark cloud over all of us and our voices are too muffled for anyone to hear each other." She took a deep breath and looked down at the roof, her hair swishing to blur her vision. "Except him, I think."

Darui's eyebrows rose. "Who?"

"The Hokage. I think we can still hear him. At the time, I was so moved by the power in his words that I think I wanted to copy it. I wanted to try to say something over the noise, so I could wake them up too. I guess it had the opposite effect, though."

"No, it didn't."

Samui's eye darted over to him. The stars behind him highlighted his outline and reminded her she wasn't alone. "What?"

"I heard you then, Samui. I'm pretty sure Naruto did too. He does that, you know; he hears what others are saying and tries to help them. I believe that's why they made him the Hokage. I know it's why I view him so highly."

Samui brushed her hair with her hand. "Still, I shouldn't have said anything."

Darui chuckled then, and Samui blinked in bewilderment at him. "Now, stop being so hard on yourself. Surprising those people is not usually a bad thing. As leaders, sometimes we need a wake-up call and that's exactly what you gave us. Although, it was uncharacteristic of you to do so."

Samui's eyes narrowed. "I just can't see a positive side to this at all."

Darui leaned back a bit to observe the brilliant lights above them. She wondered if he thought about their view of them too. "You know; when I was a kid, I always thought the stars were frozen. I didn't think they moved at all up there, and instead we were the ones who moved. I was pretty satisfied with that viewpoint because it made me feel safe, like no matter what, the stars would not change. But then as I got older, I realized that they weren't frozen. When I really looked at them, I noticed that they dimmed and brightened slightly. They really did twinkle because they burn in the sky. I felt pretty silly when I noticed that. That whole time, I wasn't really looking at them at all. And that was when I felt relief." His dark skin seemed to glow then, and Samui was transfixed by him. "I was so relieved because at least I knew the truth. I could have gone my whole life not knowing it, but I _did_ see and that changed everything."

Samui questioned why her lips felt dry. "What are you saying exactly?"

"Sometimes we look at something and think we understand it, but then it turns out to be far more complex than we thought. It's easy to see yourself as an idiot for not noticing it the first time. But you should be happy instead because it means you're growing and that's a wonderful thing."

Samui frowned. "But it _was_ a stupid thing to do. I feel incredibly foolish for saying anything at all."

"And that's fine. You feel what you need to. Feelings are important right now. I think it's best for you to ride this one out and when you've come to accept it, thank him."

Samui pursed her lips as Darui stood up. "Thank him?" she asked.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "Thank Naruto for inspiring you. I'm sure he'd like that."

He turned to leave and Samui called to him, her voice rising high. "And what happens if I can't accept my mistake?"

Darui's shoulders drooped, and he looked up at the stars again. "Then thank him anyways. He needs it. Good night, Samui." He dropped off the side of the roof and disappeared.

Samui went to bed shortly after that but before she did, she tried to see the stars the way Darui had described. Once she saw how they twinkled, she also felt a sense of relief.

* * *

Kurotsuchi shuffled into the room that morning and folded her arms across her chest, her long dress gliding against her legs. Naruto looked up at her from his paperwork and stood up. He didn't want to give the impression they were not on equal footing. He crossed around his desk and beckoned for her to come closer with his fingers.

"What is this about?" she asked. Her face was solid yet neutral.

Naruto exhaled and rubbed his bandaged arm absentmindedly. "I need to talk to you about what we discussed yesterday during the meeting. Off the record, of course."

"You couldn't have done this until we were in your office? We slept under the same roof, you know?"

"I know. I just wanted to make this as respectable to you as possible."

Kurotsuchi scrutinized him with her sharp, rosy eyes. "Well, I appreciate that, Naruto- _san._ "

"Could you drop the—"

"I enjoy using honorifics," she started curtly. "And if you want to make any leverage in this conversation, then you will allow me to do so."

Naruto nodded and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Gotcha." Naruto picked up his chair from his side of the desk and placed it on the opposite end. He pointed to the guest chair next to Kurotsuchi. "Please, we should sit down."

She nodded and sat on the chair in a fluid motion. "So, what would you like to discuss, Naruto- _san_?"

Naruto overlapped his fingers together. "I believe the way you handled my idea was, well, disrespectful."

To his dismay, Kurotsuchi scoffed. "Are you serious? I offended you?!" The way she stated that last part made it sound like she saw a bug crawl across his face.

"I think it's more than that."

She brought her hand to her chest, and her face was sculpted with indignation. "Look, I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to bring this up to me, but I'm not sure what your goal is in all of this. I already told you I'm on board."

"It's not that, Kurotsuchi. I just want to express my intentions with you."

She huffed and leaned into her seat. "Alright then. Go right ahead."

Naruto nodded and rubbed his cheeks. "Well, I guess I should start with you. How are you?"

Kurotsuchi blinked and nestled her chin into her hand. "You know, I really don't get you."

"Come on, Kurotsuchi. I'm not your enemy, so why are you so cruel with me?"

"Because you don't make sense! You call a Summit during the greatest epidemic in history to propose an outlandish idea with a million holes in it. Then after I point them out to you, you ask me how I am?"

Naruto fidgeted with his hands. "I mean, with that tone you can make anything sound ridiculous."

"I can't believe this," Kurotsuchi uttered. "What is this about? Do you just want me to apologize about how I acted? Because if that's it, then can I go? We have our meeting later, and I need to prepare."

"That's not it, Kurotsuchi. I'm trying to appeal to you, alright? I don't want you to feel like you're alone here. I just thought you were being a little abrasive yesterday, but I'm not looking for an apology."

"Then what are you looking for?" she asked impatiently.

"An explanation." Naruto's face became stern, although not in a typical austere manner; it was softer than that. "What's going on?"

Kurotsuchi's jaw clamped shut and her cheekbones became rigid. Her eyes loomed over to the far window and didn't seem to leave for some time. "What good will that do?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe it won't do anything. But at least I'll know what's happening with you, and I don't mean for selfish reasons."

Her short hair (she had let it grow a little longer than it was during the war) framed her face neatly but it seemed to cage her, as if she wasn't allowed to ever escape. "No, I suppose that's true. You're not selfish. But I still don't understand why you must know."

"So I can help. I want this unified village to work for everyone which means I need to understand everybody. I can't do that if I don't understand one of my own friends."

Kurotsuchi wondered if she ever considered the Orange Hokage to be her friend. Perhaps, it didn't matter. Once the stubborn blond picked out his companions, there was nothing anybody could do to pry them away from him. Despite her recent resentment, Kurotsuchi smiled slightly. "OK, I can see that you mean it." She sighed and straightened the hem of her dress. "I'm sure you've lost someone to this disease?"

Naruto's eyes darkened. Kurotsuchi was curious about that. She marveled how the man could fit perfectly into any emotional circumstance. It was affirming in its own right. "Yes, I have."

She cleared her throat. "I see. Well, I guess everybody has at this point." Her eyes settled on the floor. "It seems I've lost just about everyone." She looked up to gauge Naruto's reaction. His entire body language was telling her he was listening. "How do you do that?"

Naruto seemed startled by that question. "I'm sorry?"

"How can you be so altruistic? After all that's going on, how can you still care about people?"

Naruto didn't take long to answer. "Because that's what we need."

Kurotsuchi felt her breath leave her, and she was unable to respond immediately. After she had herself under control, she spoke again. "Is that the only reason?"

Naruto closed his eyes and drew in a protracted breath. "There's more to it, yes. I think it comes from how I view the world. I want to care not just because it's the right thing to do, but because I don't know any other way to interact with people. Every decision I make is because I care."

Kurotsuchi smiled at that. "I believe that. I really do."

Naruto grinned at her, but then his lips lowered into a thin line. "Who did you lose, Kurotsuchi?"

Her heart sank and she nodded. "My grandfather and father together hurt a lot. They left me on the same day too. It's only been two weeks since then, but it feels like an eternity and a minute at the same time. It's funny how I probably would have punched my past self for acting the way I did. I could barely leave my home after that." If emotion could be viewed like a painting, then Kurotsuchi would have been colored in hues of melancholy blue; that's what Naruto thought, anyways. "But that wasn't the worst part, you see. I was engaged."

Naruto could feel his eyes warm. "Oh no."

"He was great, you know. He was strong and kind. We grew up together actually since our academy days. I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Have you ever met someone like that? Someone you could confess your heart to so much that they're unlike anybody else in the world? And then when they're gone, you feel hollow?"

Naruto couldn't meet her eyes. "I have."

"If the purpose of this life is to live, then what's the purpose of death?" she asked tentatively. "Was there any reason he should die? The war made sense. At least those shinobi fought and died for our victory, but what about the infected? There's nothing more disgraceful or meaningless."

Naruto placed his head in his hand. "Grief tends to mask any sense of positivity."

"It seems to have taken over my very life, Naruto- _san_. I loved him. I really did and it's hard to work past it."

"Well, you've done a great job being honest about it so far."

"Only through a lens made of my own worries though. Every decision I've made has been because of my own selfish pain. I haven't been fair to Iwa or to the other Kage. The main reason I've been so harsh on the unified village idea is because of my own loss of purpose. It just seems like it's going to fall apart no matter what happens."

Naruto's concerned expression seemed to relieve her. "How can you give up before you've even started?"

Her eyes widened. "What? I don't think—"

"But you have. You've accepted your fate, but that's the last thing we should do."

"Isn't it a good thing to accept your fate? I mean it's not like I can avoid it."

"Fate isn't inevitable, Kurotsuchi," he stated with his finger pointed at her. He said it so precisely that she felt she couldn't argue against it, as if it was a natural law of its own; later when she was alone with her thoughts, she would believe it was. "It's defined by our choices, the ones we consciously _make_. And no one else can do them for you. You have the potential to control who you are and how you act."

Kurotsuchi's eyes narrowed. "Did we control this disease? Was that not our fate?"

Naruto sighed. She felt immediate guilt at the sight of his downcast eyes. He wasn't fighting her, but she was fighting him. His whole demeanor was humbling, to say the least. "It was…unfortunate circumstances. But we can still control what we do with it. Kurotsuchi, please know that I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want anyone to be hurt and it breaks my heart to see so many suffering. But—we can't let it _defeat_ us." He almost choked on that last sentence. He thought back to his selfishness over the last few weeks. He had abandoned his village for the sake of nursing his own wounds. His sense of responsibility was stronger though, stronger than any amount of guilt or shame he was experiencing, and he used it to control himself and salvage what he still had. "Please, don't give up, Kurotsuchi. Don't let it defeat you."

Kurotsuchi swallowed. Maybe he was right. She had given up. She had been so quick to judge and pick at hope rather than try to build on it. She should have been trying to improve the plan from the beginning, but her pain had hardened into cynicism and she had done more harm than good.

But it wasn't over yet.

"I think you're right," she said.

Naruto's grin was wide, and she felt her own face muscles spread at the sight of it. "That's good to hear," he said. "It's fine, you know."

"Huh? You're not mad at me?"

Naruto chuckled. "Why would I be? That would kind of defeat the point, right? We're trying to build something here."

She smiled brightly then. The tension had faded and she felt more like herself. "Yes, I believe you're right."

"You sure did cheer up fast," he commented.

"It's kind of hard not to when you're so candid, Naruto- _san_." She bowed her head. "Please, accept my apology. I've been rather hard to work with, and I'm sorry about that."

"I already said it's fine, Kurotsuchi. I still want you to be hard on me during the meetings, if you don't mind. I think it really helps ground our discussions."

She laughed. "Then what was the point of this conversation?"

"I told you already," he stated with confidence. "I wanted to understand my friend."

She beamed at him and even after she left his office to prepare for the meeting, she was still grinning.

* * *

The meeting later that day had a lighter air to it than the previous ones. It was the first real sign of a breakthrough, and it mingled well with the sense of lenity that was present there too.

Shikamaru was the one to call the meeting to order. "If all business regarding village reports have been handled to everyone's content, then I would like to move to other business."

From across the table, Mei settled into her seat. "So, this would be a good time to discuss the virus?"

Gaara's dark-rimmed eyes glinted. "I think that would be best, indeed. Does anyone else concur?"

Darui placed his hand on the table. "I agree."

Kurotsuchi simply nodded. Naruto looked at her with a smile and brought his hand up. "The virus it is then. Does anyone want to start first?"

"What exactly will we be discussing about it?" Mei asked.

"I suppose what we know already would be good," answered Darui.

Gaara focused on the center of the table. "Well, we aren't sure of its exact origins, but we do know the first reported cases happened simultaneously on the same day in various locations." The Kazekage's hands rose to hide the lower part of his face, giving him a look that surpassed his years. "And we know there have been no records of such a virus in past years."

Kurotsuchi frowned. "Does that not sound suspicious?"

"It does," replied Gaara. "It almost sounds like—"

"Someone made it," Naruto finished. Everyone in the room was staring at him now, some had expressions that carried fear. The Hokage sighed and looked to his assistant. "Shikamaru, could you pass out those papers Sakura gave you this morning?"

The Nara obliged and passed around the documents. There was a moment of silence between the Kage as they all read until Mei's sheet left her vision and her demeanor changed. "Oh, dear."

Darui's tone seemed forlorn. "That makes a lot of sense."

Gaara squeezed the bridge of his nose. "It's far too complex to be natural, then?"

"Exactly," answered Naruto. "My research team has informed me that it targets more than one thing in the body."

Mei's finger rose to her lip. "I haven't heard of any disease _changing_ its objective."

Kurotsuchi's teeth grinded together and the papers in her hands shook. "Some sick bastard actually made this?!"

"We don't know that for sure," Gaara clarified evenly.

Kurotsuchi glared at the redhead. No one could blame her. She would glare at anybody in her current state. "Do you still think this shit's natural?"

Gaara remained stoic. "I think it would be unwise to rule anything out. However, it wouldn't hurt to investigate this theory further."

Darui leaned his head against the railing of his chair. "But where would we even start? Is there a person out there who is even capable of such a thing?"

A knowing look was exchanged between Naruto and his advisor, one composed of fear and reluctant insight. They were reticent while Mei's high voice rose in the room. "Wasn't there a shinobi from Konoha who possessed such scientific measures?" she asked. She eyed the Hokage curiously. "One of the Sannin, I believe?"

Gaara turned his attention to Naruto as well. "Didn't he help us during the war?"

Naruto sighed, accepting defeat. "Yes, there was. He was actually a resident of the village afterwards for some time. But he left two years ago for reasons unknown. The Rokudaime thought it was best for him to do as he wished at the time. It's probably a good idea not to overlook the possibility of him having a part in this."

Shikamaru swallowed. For their sake, Orochimaru's creations were usually best left in the dark. "I'll note him down as a lead. Is there anything else to bring up to the committee concerning the pathogen?"

Darui rubbed his temples and his voice sounded grave when he said what everybody had been thinking: "A cure?"

To everyone's shock, Kurotsuchi's hands slammed on the table. It seemed her fury had not dwindled. Because of the cold glint in her pink eyes, however, it was fairly clear she had mastered her control of the fiery emotion. Conversely, her tone was so low and sinister that it sent shivers through the occupants of the room. "Is there a point to such a thing?"

Gaara (the least affected by her aura) answered her. "Of course, there is, Kurotsuchi- _san_. There are still those infected, after all."

"And how much time do they have?! A couple days? And what happens after that, exactly? Once we actually find something won't they all be dead? I don't think there's a fucking point to spending time and money on something that won't do a damn thing!"

Mei's temper was elevated too. "How can you say that? What if it comes back later and attacks the survivors? We need to be ready for anything. That's a standard rule for shinobi, especially in times of crisis."

"We'd be wasting our time!" She was forgetting herself. She was forgetting the progression she had made with Naruto. This was about what was best for them, so she had to show them what was true. "We need to maintain what form of order we still have. We can't jump around with our priorities!"

Gaara kept his voice level, a concept Kurotsuchi was unable to grasp at the moment. "And a cure would fit in that list of priorities."

"No, it wouldn't!" she yelled. "It's not gonna do shit!"

Everyone was staring at her now, like she was a monster. Darui lifted his hand up in a benevolent manner. "We should keep this discussion respectful."

Kurotsuchi was about to scream, like really scream. She was about to shout at the top of her lungs and belt out insults and arguments she couldn't completely conceive of intuitively. She was ready to lose the edge of control she had cultivated over a lifetime of repression and circumspection. Her grandfather had once told her she was one of the most skilled shinobi he knew, except her temper often hindered her true capabilities. Ever since he had told her that, she had resolved herself to try to keep her anger suppressed. But it was so hard sometimes. This whole scenario was prying her open, spewing the red-hot lava of her rage onto her well-being. The vulnerability with Naruto earlier had opened her up and now she was going to—

Kurotsuchi paused.

Naruto was staring at her, scanning her expression. And he looked _sad_. She was about to lose her composure, and he was looking at her like he knew how much she was struggling. Then, she remembered what he had said earlier: _Don't let it defeat you._ All of a sudden, she felt cool, as if a refreshing spring had surged within her to soothe the heat. She no longer felt belligerent and instead felt a wondrous sense of serenity. And it was all because of Naruto's smooth, ocean-blue eyes; they were there for her, supporting who she was and what she stood for. So, she took his advice and regained her control.

Kurotsuchi focused in on the rest of the committee. "Yes, um, I—I'm sorry for my irrational behavior just now."

There were some wary glances exchanged around the table, but Gaara seemed to be the one to pick up on the Tsuchikage's sudden change in decorum. "You're forgiven, Kurotsuchi- _san_. And we apologize if we patronized you in any way." Naruto was the only one who noticed the subtle twinge of a smile that played at Gaara's lips.

Kurotsuchi nodded and managed any stray strands of hair she had allowed to fray during her shouting. "Thank you. Um, now then, perhaps we should discuss these means of a cure?"

Mei nodded. "Very good, for the record, you were correct in your earlier claim, Kurotsuchi- _sama._ We should not jump around on our priorities. We should focus on one main objective and divide some resources for other minor yet important factions, like scouting and research teams. We don't have much to work with at the moment."

Darui heaved a massive arm onto the table. "I agree with Mei- _san_. It would be best to use our resources wisely."

Shikamaru raised his hand high. "If I may be so bold, I have a suggestion concerning that." He pointed to his papers in front of him. "I've been writing down a list of important tasks and matters that need attending to ever since the notion of the unified village was brought up. I've just added some extra matters as well."

Naruto nodded next to him and grinned brightly. He'd like to think his advisor was the best in his field, although he was rather biased. "That's great, Shikamaru! Let's hear it." There was a murmur of agreement from around the table.

Shikamaru smiled and addressed the committee. "Very well, since we are all in agreement about the unified village, I think it would be best to concentrate the core of our current resources on that. We can pool everything together and have a team specifically focused on the planning and establishing of such a feat. We can have all our builders and architects come together to begin planning. As Tsuchikage- _sama_ mentioned in our last meeting, we need to be aware of all shortcomings and holes in the plan, so we should make sure our team addresses all the issues."

The Nara shuffled some papers. "After we've done that much, I believe it would be a good idea to make two other teams. One large, perhaps a unit of around twenty or so, and another one that is far smaller. The large one I suggest deeming as a scouting unit to scope out the territory for the unified village. We had one sent prior, but it was merely to make sure the area was capable of sustaining such a settlement. We're going to need more information about the location if we're going to start building. Now, the smaller team…" Shikamaru's eyes sharpened, and Naruto thought he looked so much like his father then. "…is a necessity I just wrote down. In consideration of the recent developments concerning the virus, we need to investigate any leads that may involve its origin."

Mei looked like she was about to say something, but Shikamaru brought his hand up to stop her. "My apologies, Mizukage- _sama_ , but please hold any questions or comments until I'm finished. I understand that this may be a futile endeavor, but we need to pursue the possibility, so I am proposing a _small_ team. A generic four-man one should suffice. They should probably locate Orochimaru and confirm any suspicions about his status." At this point, Shikamaru nodded to Mei, giving her permission to speak.

Mei smirked. "You already answered my question, Nara- _san._ "

Gaara curiously leaned into his hands. "How would you propose we decide who the members of the team are?"

"I thought about that too," said Shikamaru as he neatly stacked the papers back to their original order. "It'll be a drag, but I think it's best we make them open to volunteers. The recent outbreak has made people restless, so I think we won't have any issues in getting enough to enlist. Any shinobi from any of the five villages will be welcome to join. Even those not in the official teams will do their part in the greater development of the village. Of course, we're all going to need to take part in the teams as well. We'll need a Kage for the scouting and planning teams to lead the general management, but the small infiltration one should be solely comprised of _jōnin_ volunteers if possible. If it's permittable, I would like to volunteer to help manage the planning portion of the village and any team members involving that. I would also be responsible in communicating with the other teams to make sure we are all on task and aware of the progression of matters." Shikamaru's head turned to the opposite side of the table. "Would anyone else like to nominate themselves for a place?"

Gaara raised his hand. "I would also like to aid you with the planning team. I can manage the actual execution of the construction and aid to the other villages for when they need to start moving forces and civilians."

"Wonderful," commented Shikamaru as he started scribbling on his papers. "And the scouting team?"

Kurotsuchi leaned forward. "I'll volunteer for that. I can get a good lay of the land quicker than any other Earth-user. Plus, I think seeing what we're working with should alleviate any doubts I have about the plan."

Shikamaru stopped writing and looked at the other two Kage. "Mizukage- _sama,_ Raikage- _sama_ , could you stay on standby here in Konoha? I'm not sure what else we will require in the coming weeks pertaining to the unified village, but I'm sure we'll need as much help as we can get. You can begin mobilizing your forces together and have them start the process of migrating, but I'll need you close by just in case."

Mei turned to Darui for a second, smiled keenly, then turned to Shikamaru. "I don't think that'll be a problem. Please, Nara- _san_ , let us know if there's anything you require of us."

Naruto stared at Shikamaru with a bright sense of amazement. He was impressed at how perceptive and quick the Nara was in these situations. He always knew Shikamaru was brilliant and capable of amazing things, but actually seeing it in action reminded him of just how intelligent the man really was. He strengthened the hope in the blond. He really felt like they could do this, they could make it through this difficult time because of who they were.

Naruto must have been lost in his thoughts because Shikamaru was practically yelling at him until he finally heard him. "Naruto!"

"What?" He looked dumbly around the table with blinking, unaware eyes.

Shikamaru glanced at Gaara with a knowing smile. "We were just asking if you'd like to be the leader?"

Naruto blinked. "Of what?"

"Of all the teams. We need someone to manage everybody and supervise the general connection between the teams. I'll be helping you, of course, but we'll need a strong leader to unify us all and you're the best person for that job." Shikamaru could feel a calm warmth in his chest as he saw the blond staring at him. It reminded him of when they were kids. And for that moment, Shikamaru really felt like everything would be all right.

Naruto looked around the table, seeing the kind expressions of his comrades sitting down and those standing. Kurotsuchi's eyes were sharper now, refined. She had taken his advice and he believed she would come out stronger because of it. Gaara had a gentle, serene smile enveloping his features. Mei was alert, with her one visible eye gazing at him fondly. Darui was rather stoic, but it was easy to see the powerful energy emitting from his figure.

And behind him, Naruto noticed her.

He had almost forgotten she was there, standing placidly with a fixated look towards him. Samui's smile was long and open. She seemed as if she was gazing at a beautiful view, like all the inspiration in the world was circling around whatever she was looking at. And she was looking at him.

They all believed in him. He always knew that, but it was nice to be reminded of that whenever they showcased their trust in him. He would never take it for granted and, somehow, he knew they knew that too.

"I would be honored," the Hokage agreed. "I'll do my best."

"Fantastic," Shikamaru stated triumphantly. "Then we'll all start as soon possible!"

The meeting was adjourned a little later on, (after they had discussed more proceedings and recommendations for the teams) and Naruto decided to head to his office to clear up some paperwork he had been neglecting.

As he traversed a corner of the long hallway, his mind ran through the complications of their plan, especially the part concerning Orochimaru. The thought of the man actually creating something so sinister really made his blood freeze. Even if it wasn't him, the possibility of anybody doing such a thing was beyond his comprehension. For everyone's sake, it was best if they didn't find anything at all.

Naruto was brought out of his stupor when he opened the doors to his office and saw a familiar face.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted with a raised hand. He was seated in the Hokage chair and maintained a casual appeal as he did so.

Maybe some other, more territorial leaders would have been offended at such a spectacle, but Naruto considered it an honor. "Hey, Kakashi- _sensei_!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

"Sorry to just sit in your seat, Naruto, but it sure does feel nice to sit in this chair again." The former Hokage had a steeled glint in his eye that made the blond feel like there was some bad news approaching.

"It's fine; you know that. What's up?" Naruto strolled across the room and stood on the other side of the desk. He was more accustomed to this dynamic when it came to his mentor, allowing Kakashi to pretend he was still the Hokage for old time's sake. He thought Kakashi would be doing the same thing, sort of like a smooth transition element or something, but then he stood up from the chair and walked right up to him.

They stood in front of each other in that quiet room with the setting sun filtering its diminishing light through the back windows, promising it would come again soon. Kakashi kept his inflection at a tight level, flinty. "There's something I need to report."

And Naruto heard it all: the boy in front of the store, Anko's emotional reaction, the boy's philosophy, the growing fear of it afterwards, and all the feelings of Kakashi on the subject. He told the story in a precise and serious manner. When he was finished, the Hokage was conflicted.

"I don't like it," Naruto confessed.

"Neither do I." Kakashi closed his eyes and ran a hand through his spiky, silver hair. "But it's only going to get worse if we don't take action soon."

Naruto's lips thinned. "I'll see what I can do."

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, you need to be careful. I know you've got a lot on your mind, but you can't do everything yourself. I'm telling you this because you're the Hokage now, and I know what it feels like to take on such a burden. You need to let others share the load a little."

"Alright then." Naruto scratched his scalp in frustration. "I'll talk about it with Shikamaru. In the meantime, I give you full liberty to do whatever you can to control things. Anko can help too, if you'd like."

"I can do that. I'll let you know how things progress. Let me know if you need anything else, alright?"

"Yeah." Kakashi turned to leave and had already taken a step when Naruto said: "Just make sure you follow your own advice, OK, Kakashi _-sensei_?"

Naruto knew he was smiling then. He couldn't see it, but he knew. "OK."

The door closed behind him, and Naruto was left alone. For a long time, Naruto stood there (whether it was due to procrastination or just for the sake of brooding wasn't made certain to him) and thought about the future. If only he knew then how bad it was going to get, how terrible the fate of many lives would proceed, maybe he could have done more. However, what he did know for certain was how he wasn't going to be defeated, no matter what happened.

He couldn't speak for the others though.

* * *

 **Thanks to everybody who has reviewed and favorited/followed the story. You guys are all so great and I love how supportive you all are. Let me know your thoughts about the chapter!**

 **-CM**


	8. Thou Shalt Remain

Chapter 8: Thou Shalt Remain

" _I like a look of agony,_

 _Because I know it's true;_

 _Men do not sham convulsion,_

 _Nor simulate a throe"_

 _-Emily Dickinson_

* * *

Naruto dreamt of her again.

For the most part, it was a rather merry experience. He was dancing with her again; not in a field of flowers or any grand setting, no, all he really recalled was dancing with his wife. She had appeared to be so happy in it too, like a jubilant, twirling petal in a sea of flowered bliss.

During their first year of marriage, Naruto had been hesitant with his feelings for Hinata. He wasn't sure how to handle a woman's emotions then. There had also been this hastiness to their marriage that he had felt was premature compared to his long past affections towards Sakura. The obligation to be faithful and constantly empathetic had been overwhelming to the young groom as well.

But, in the end, he had learned to love her.

Over those few simple years, he admired her tenacity and moral standards. She would often speak of how much his character had changed and inspired her own. It felt good to hear that, and the way she spoke about him made Naruto truly feel special and cared for. There had been a charm to her quiet demeanor and elegance that had resulted in a broad scope of respite in his life. He could relax with her, be still in the moment with her warm company.

When they had heard Hinata was pregnant, they had been ecstatic. Naruto couldn't remember a time where he had been so happy. He had always dreamed of having a family of his own, to be able to raise and support other lives and introduce them to the greatness of the world. That was right around the time where he had been told he would be given the title of Hokage, so there had been much to be thankful for. So many blessings and so much time to work with.

And Hinata had been there with him, smiling.

And then, Naruto woke up.

He was alone.

The quiet bedroom was cast in a cloudy gloom as the early morning was barely able to seep in. Naruto turned to the empty side of the bed and found it to be cold, as if it was telling him not to bother.

When the other Kage had been invited to stay at his home, he had reluctantly left Sakura's place for his own. Having the others around had been enjoyable in its own way, but except for Gaara (he was currently staying in the guest bedroom on the other side of the house), they had all gone their own ways. Mei and Darui had taken residence in separate, temporary lodgings on the north side of town, Kurotsuchi had already begun preparations for her scouting mission, and Sakura was busy at the hospital like always.

Naruto stooped over the edge of his bed and held his head in his hands. He could feel it breaking, shattering.

Hinata's simple, quiet smile was so concrete in his mind, and it cut through his fibers like a rusty blade, producing misery for its victim. He wanted to blame the memories, for having them, because then he could be blaming _something._ At least then, he would have some semblance of control. If only he could grab a theory of control, then maybe he could muster himself. But this aching grief was too much, too raw and visceral.

Marriage was a beautiful concept. He had come to understand that with his wife. When circumstances got rough, a partner was there to aid you along. It generally generated its own problems for the couple and that was considered normal, but Naruto loved their marriage even when it was difficult because he knew they would be stronger for it. They weren't the type to give up, so they knew they could be honest and forthcoming with one another.

One conversation he remembered from their cheerful days was a bitter one now. He recalled one evening where they had been going to bed, and she had said: "You know, I really hope I die before you, Naruto."

He had been shocked by her statement then. "What are you talking about? That's a thing that's pretty far away, you know."

He could still see the way she had lifted her hair with her hand to flip it over her shoulder. "I'm just saying, I couldn't take it if you left first."

"You could, Hinata. You're far more capable than I am."

He remembered the way she had giggled and beamed at him then. He yearned for that look now. "No, I would be a wreck, Naruto. I don't think I could go on without you. I mean, I could survive. But not live. The grief would be too painful. You're different, though."

"What do you mean by that? I'd be a wreck too."

"Yes," she had agreed. "But you'd be able to live on. You never needed me for that. I've probably made it easier for you, but you'd be just fine. You're strong like that."

He had kissed her after that. He always loved it when she called him strong because that had always been a goal for him. When she said it so casually, it made it seem like a fact, as if there was no way to refute it.

The distant memory seemed to pool into a muddy clarity that drained through his thoughts and left them soiled. Naruto looked at his hands and squeezed them. He rubbed them against his face and felt his restlessness escalate. A form of heat that eradicated all numbness drilled along his veins and a cascading emptiness opened in his chest. He couldn't even cry as he realized she had been wrong.

You were wrong, Hinata, he thought. I don't know what you meant, but I'm not strong unless you're here to say it.

He would tell her that, he concluded. If he ever saw her again, he would tell her all about it. And then, she would laugh at him for being silly. She would laugh, shake her head, and then they would dance.

The little bedroom was cool and still as Naruto lamented in silence. Perhaps, there was some sympathy left for the young man there, but it was hard to find.

* * *

Hiroto had not been blessed with an easy life. He had worked hard for his earnings from the very beginning of his career. His father had been a carpenter, a man who scarred his hands for the sake of a successful life. When Hiroto had taken up the profession, he realized he had a natural gift for it. His father had helped him enhance that gift to the point where they were both satisfied. For a time, Hiroto had made a nice life for himself. He had inherited the family business, found a pretty wife, had a daughter, and made a living.

But then, he had lost the business. The sharks at the bank had cheated him out of his rights as soon as his profits dropped. Of course, they didn't help him when he asked for a loan, and he had to sell the business.

Hiroto remembered his hopes then, how fickle they were to him now. He and his wife had talked about how they were going to survive with their savings until he got a new job. Then he would work hard, even if he hated the job, and accrue some income. Maybe even move out of Konoha, build a cottage in the woods with plenty of land. It was a time of peace, after all, anything could happen.

But the scenario could always get worse. It took him a while to comprehend that.

Now, two years later, it was worse.

He had no job, they were broke, and a virus had devastated the world. His wife and teenage daughter were still alive, though. Some would have said how fortunate he was to still have his family, but they didn't know. It was a curse.

Grief would have been sweeter than this hell.

Hiroto's wife did not handle stress well. It was one characteristic he had learned from her early on. Lately, she had been so paranoid about the virus that her manic behavior was no longer excusable. It would be one thing if Hiroto was alone with his wife, then he would be able to calm her down to a tolerable level, but her lunacy was starting to affect their daughter.

Most of the survivors were out working in teams to support what was left of the village. There were even bloated rumors about a unified village being discussed seriously with the Union. If Hiroto had been more fortunate, then maybe he would have been out there, aiding the cause and believing in the hope of a promising future.

But his wife wouldn't allow it. Ever since she had seen those purple bruises on the skin of the other civilians, she had issued a pseudo-quarantine zone in their house. She had boarded the windows and whispered terrible, fearful words in their daughter's ears. Hiroto had managed to convince her of conventionality enough to leave the house himself on occasion, but she only allowed him to gather supplies while he was out. The ordeal was rather emasculating, but Hiroto knew his wife's heart. She was just scared, and he couldn't hold that against her. He loved her.

At least, that's what he told himself.

His conscious told him to continue this farce by obeying his wife's irrational demands. But every time he witnessed the tender visage of his daughter looking up at him with tear-stained eyes, he could feel his own mania split apart his mind.

Truth be told, Hiroto had battled such demons before. He recalled his younger years of helping his father with chopping wood, one of the carpenter's most basic tasks. Considering the job didn't involve a lot of training and more actual execution, Hiroto's father typically left him alone while he cut the wood.

That was his father's mistake.

One day, a young Hiroto had been using his father's axe. By that point, he was quite proficient at the task and split many logs that day before he heard the squeal. The noise wasn't too loud, but it was near enough for Hiroto to be compelled to investigate.

When Hiroto found the wounded boar, he didn't know the moment would haunt and thrill his mind for the rest of his life. Its legs were torn and bleeding by some kind of injury, perhaps made by a predator. Hiroto recalled standing over the damaged piglet with his axe in hand, his bewildered mind speeding across the vast array of possibilities and emotions. One vivid feeling he remembered was pity for the creature, but another was lower and more primal; it lingered and festered the more the squeals expanded around him.

Hiroto knew he raised the axe with a sense of responsibility, to free the animal from its misery. But after he sent the axe into the piglet's neck, he knew there was no other reason to keep swinging.

Nevertheless, he kept chopping. He kept throwing the axe down until it was only a distorted bloody mess of fur and muscle.

Hiroto kept chopping, chopping, chopping.

And the whole time, he felt justified, like it was all necessary. He had freed the creature.

That was the very memory Hiroto had been thinking about on that day of redemption. He was trying to make dinner when he heard his wife yell in the other room. He rushed to the room to see his wife standing over his daughter, her hand extended out in a violent fashion. Her breathing was rapid, and a yellowing bruise stained their daughter's cheek.

When he appeared in the doorway, his wife looked over at him. "Ah, you've done it now!" She pointed to their daughter. "She says she wants to leave! Can you believe it? The ungrateful bitch actually wants to leave us! After all I've done!" Suddenly, her frantic eyes settled on him. The same ones he had found to be so beautiful in another time, another life. "It's because of you! You've been telling her things, haven't you?"

Hiroto remained silent and only glared at her. He knew his words could be dangerous right now. When she realized he was not going to react, she huffed and stormed out of the room. After she was gone, Hiroto gazed down at the small figure of his daughter.

She was still so young in his eyes, barely fifteen, but he could see the woman she would be one day, budding underneath the subtle blanket of youth. He stepped over to her and gently clasped her wounded cheek. "I'm sorry," he confessed tenderly.

Her eyes carried terror in them, planted there by his wife. He knew all too well the way she wormed her way into the psyche and mangled it to total brutality. Their daughter was stronger than him, though. She accepted his wife's lies and made them her truth, yes, but there was still a resilience in her that few could obtain, even in the most drastic situations.

"It's all right," she said. "I don't know what I was thinking, really. It's better to stay with my family, right?"

No, he thought. It's not. It would be better for her to leave, to be free of their madness. However, as he sat there and saw his daughter's fear so palpable before him, he knew she would never leave them. She would rather be trapped by their foolish behavior, and he couldn't really blame her. There was no one who possessed the strength to escape, not anymore.

Hiroto left her and returned to the kitchen. He began to dice some vegetables for their stew that night. The large kitchen knife neatly trimmed the veggies as Hiroto's mind wandered off to the lucid recollection of a wounded piglet and a bloody axe.

What did it mean to be free?

Could anyone really be free in this world? Of course, there was the concept of free will. Choice and ideas were open to everyone and individuals were given opportunities to decide their own paths. This was true, but there were still boundaries. Humans could not be allowed to do absolutely _anything_ they wanted. There were some lines that were not to be crossed. It was only natural; people couldn't handle such anarchy. But what if that was an illusion? A lie? What would happen if they could be set free?

These questions haunted and tortured Hiroto's already-crippled mind enough for him to forget where he was.

And just like that, he was back in the woods with his axe, butchering a dead pig. The squeals were all around him, the blood was covering his clothes and the axe was weightless. It cut through the flesh like butter, and it was bringing freedom to the poor little piglet. How pure was the axe! How truly great and liberating it was to give such a humble creature the greatest gift possible!

Oh, how Hiroto longed for such a gift!

And that was when he woke up. He was finally awake and now he could see the truth! All of a sudden, everything made sense to Hiroto. The virus was not a curse to the world. No, it was another gift. Humans were bound to their rules and the constraints of society. They were not allowed to truly live in this reality. So, they were given the chance to be free.

Hiroto squeezed the handle of the knife. He would set his family free.

His wife walked into the room then. A frown was etched into her brow, and she glowered at him. "Is dinner ready, yet?" Her voice was so harsh, so scared.

Hiroto said nothing to her. Words were dangerous, but the knife was not. No, it was safe. It would free her. He lowered the blade to his side and approached his wife.

For a moment, he was able to witness her true beauty. Her face was not contorted into rage and stuffed anxiety in his eyes. Instead, she was cool and placid in her attitude, and she was showing concern for him. She didn't want him to suffer, and there was a genuine need made available to him. He wanted to reach out and grasp it, cherish it with all his energy. But before he knew it, his arm was out and her face changed.

Anguish covered her features as the kitchen knife slid into her abdomen. As soon as her eyes widened and her mouth opened to its greatest extent, a bloodcurdling scream filled the little kitchen.

Hiroto pulled the blade out and stared with a mixture of elation and horror. His first instinct was to help his ailing wife, but then he stopped himself. She needed this. This was good for her. She could really escape now. Oh, but her cries told him she just didn't realize that yet. She clearly thought of this as a bad thing. She was going to die, and she still feared death. Of course, all reasonable people feared such an unknown and dark concept, but she would find out soon enough.

She really needed this.

The screams brought their daughter in, and Hiroto saw her little eyes dart between the bloody knife in his hand and his wife sprawled out on the floor, howling in pain. His moment was escaping him. He couldn't allow her to be trapped anymore.

Before rationality (if it still existed at this point) could prevent him from doing so, Hiroto launched himself forward and sent the knife towards his daughter. He was so quick that he almost had her, but she shrieked and moved to the side to run down the hallway behind her. Unfortunately for her, she was moving to the back of the house.

There was no backdoor.

As Hiroto calmly ambled down the hallway, his wife's now-shrinking shouts neglected in the distance, he could sense a unique form of bliss rise high in his body. He was finally fulfilling what he had always desired. Ever since the piglet, Hiroto had wanted to free the chained victims of the world. He learned he couldn't do it for many, but he could free his family and that was enough for him.

He found his daughter crouched in the corner of her tiny bedroom. He wished he could have given her a larger one back when it mattered to him. Now, it was a fickle thing, unrelated to the major parts of the world. He held the knife and stooped down to face his daughter's shaking frame.

Tears were spilling down her cheeks but she was whimpering softly, as if she was only being disciplined. Odd, he thought. She wasn't reacting like her mother, maybe it was because she knew. There was still plenty of fear, yes, but he couldn't expect her to have none of that. He was slightly scared too, but that was only because the end was relatively ambiguous. That made it all the more exciting, though!

"Please, daddy," she cried, "don't do it."

He patted her head and stroked her hair tenderly. This would be his last gift to her. He would have given her the world, but now he was giving her so much more. She would see this eventually, even if his wife never did. "It's all right, sweetie. I need to free you. Be strong for me, OK? I'll meet you there soon."

He could tell she wanted to resist, to fight against her fate and stay tied to this world. But she did not stop him. She was such a smart girl, after all. He had raised her right. He made it quick for her by cutting her neck. She did not scream. She died peacefully. At least, Hiroto told himself that.

After his daughter escaped into her final gift, Hiroto no longer heard the cries of his wife. He was alone now, and he felt no regret. For the first time in his life, Hiroto had no regrets. He believed he had no more misfortunes. His life had been cruel sometimes, but now he was allowed to choose his end. He had true control, and he was not going to let anyone take that from him.

When his own throat had been slit by his hand, Hiroto stared up at the ceiling as the light dwindled away around him. He was free at last. Just like that lucky piglet, the shackles had fallen from him and he was able to fly into an existence where no one would withhold his control.

To his surprise, the last thing Hiroto saw before he died was not the ceiling. It was the face of a masked man looking down at him. Hiroto noticed the man looked sad, concerned. He wanted to tell the man that all was well and that there was no need to worry. But his voice was gone and so was the light.

Hiroto was free.

* * *

Tenten threw down her load when she heard the screams. Her battle instincts kicked in, and she reached for a scroll in her jacket. Standing next to her was Kiba, his box of supplies discarded next to hers.

"It's not far," she announced before she jumped in the direction of the noise. Kiba was right behind her as they both bounced off the roofs of the buildings between them and the emergency.

Tenten had volunteered for the supply teams with Kiba for a reason. She wanted to avoid such instances involving more tragedy and death. As they got closer to the outburst, she began to ponder if there was nothing she could do about that. Maybe this was just how life was going to be now. It was a cycle, she supposed. She only hoped the circle would have been bigger.

They reached the source of the commotion a few minutes later. By that time, however, the screaming had ended. Anko was standing outside the front door of a little house, her head lowered and shaking. They approached her and saw the pale color plastered against her expression.

Anko held her hand up before they reached the door. Her other hand covered her mouth. She looked like she was about to vomit. "Don't go in there," she choked out. "You don't want to see this."

Kiba frowned. "What happened here?"

"Something terrible," Anko said. She didn't look at them.

Tenten was unnerved. If Anko was this rattled, then it had to be serious. "How many?" she asked.

Anko shook her head. "Three. Oh _shit_ —" She had been holding it too long. Her body gave out and the contents of her stomach made their exit.

Tenten stepped past her, and Kiba followed her. Anko must not have been too serious about her warning because she let them enter without another word.

When Tenten saw the dead woman, she gasped. The wound was not too bad, to be honest. It was clean enough and considering the amount of blood, the aorta was clearly severed. The poor thing probably had gone into shock but aside from that, her death should have been quick. What really struck Tenten's chord was the woman's face. Her mouth was wide open, almost to the point of being bizarrely grotesque, and her eyes seemed to pop out at the horror of the final seconds of her life. The sight was as peculiar as it was terrifying.

Anko stood next to the two of them and joined them in their gawking. "Fucked up, huh?"

Tenten swallowed. "Who the hell did this?"

"The husband. Kakashi is with him in the next room."

Tenten nodded and made her way over to the hallway. She turned around before she left, however, because she realized Kiba was not following her. He was scanning Anko's morose disposition with an air of disbelief.

"Why are you so bothered by this, Anko- _san_?" he asked.

Tenten brought her hand up. "Kiba, don't—"

He spoke over her. "No, what the hell is this? You were a student of Orochimaru's! This has to be nothing to you."

Anko brought her hand to her lips. "What the hell do you know? It's not the fucking gore, dumbass." Her jaw tightened and her eyes averted him. How would they understand? She was broken up enough as it was and now she had to see _this._ A family completely unharmed by the virus was rare. The odds must have been astronomical, but they had fallen into another, more harrowing, statistic. She really didn't think it would go this fast, this soon. "Just go and see for yourself," she muttered.

Kiba released his gaze on her and patrolled down the hallway. Tenten pursued him, but she was reluctant to see what was at the end of it. She was already so weak. It would be easy to break her, to set her off balance. Maybe that was what happened to Anko.

They reached the end of the hallway and peered into the room. Kakashi was kneeling down, wrapping a long cloth around a body. On the other side of him was another wrapped body that was much smaller than the other. As Kakashi stood up to address the two of them, a pallid hand slipped from the covers and made Tenten catch a rising gasp in her throat.

Kakashi's eyes were incurious as they browsed over the two shinobi. Kiba cleared his throat and felt his voice shake. "Did…did you see what happened, Kakashi- _sensei_?"

Kakashi's shoulders slumped, as if they had just submitted to the weight. "Not all of it," he admitted. His gaze flickered over to the smaller bundle that had once been a human life. Suddenly, a flash of disgust blinked across his features. "And I'm happy I didn't."

Tenten felt her knees give out, and she dropped to the floor. She sat there, bewildered. Murder wasn't a new discovery to any shinobi but with the combination of relative peace for so long and a growing distaste for bitter tragedy, the tender limits were surmounted. They couldn't handle it anymore. Tenten was so sick of it! Why did there have to be so much death all at once? No one could handle it. No one could be expected to endure it, even a shinobi.

Kakashi stepped up to her. He exhaled deeply and crouched down to meet Tenten at eye level. "I know it's a little selfish of me, but could you handle the bodies for me? I need to go report this. I'll ask Anko to help too."

Tenten barely heard his words. She was staring into those dark eyes that were normally so remote but were now filled with torment. This was tearing him up too. Even the Rokudaime Hokage, the man who fought through the entirety of the war with the strongest men alive, was unable to handle this situation. In the grand scale of things, this little incident was nothing. But to them, at that moment and in that place, it was the thing that made them waver. Tenten connected to that. She really felt like Kakashi understood her then.

Kiba answered for the two of them: "Of course, Kakashi _-sensei_. We'll take care of it from here."

Kakashi nodded gratefully and made his exit down the hallway. Tenten impulsively watched him leave. When he got to the door to where Anko was, Tenten saw him whisper something in her ear. The older woman brought her hand up to stifle what must have been a sob and quickly nodded.

Kakashi left after that, and Tenten couldn't get the image of him out of her mind. No one was doing well anymore, but maybe what Kakashi showed her could imbue some hope. Maybe that look of vulnerability and movement of duty was enough to work with. There was something strong in that man, something that could keep moving no matter what happened.

It wasn't much, but it was all they had right now.

* * *

Naruto avoided the office that afternoon.

To evade the sensation of confinement, he opted for a more relaxed setting. The roof of the Hokage Tower was suitable enough for his tastes, not perfect but sufficient. From that height, Naruto could make out the greater part of Konoha. The impressive sight had an impact on him and seemed to soothe his strained mind.

His dream from the night before had faded to a dull ache. That was the nice part about bad dreams: the worst was over after you woke up. All he had to now was to live with it. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he could forget he even had it. Despite this, there was one element to his mystic dream he never wanted to dismiss. There was still a smile that would forever be implanted in his memories.

Naruto thought about that smile as the sun festooned the diverse and complex outlines of the structures before him. Konoha always looked so beautiful to him, regardless of the lighting or time of year. He had traveled to numerous locations with wondrous natural landscapes and remarkable creations, but none of them possessed the same richness as home. Naruto always considered the idea that too many people scoured the world for stability in the wrong places, and it wasn't until later in their lives that they realized home was all they needed. He never really had that problem.

Home was where her smile was, so he stayed to remember it.

Naruto stood there on the roof for the majority of the afternoon, leaning against the parapet with his arms out. That was how Kakashi found him.

Kakashi glanced at him as he joined his old student in enjoying the view. "You look terrible," he said.

"I had a rough morning."

"Bad dream?"

"Yep."

Kakashi nodded and kept facing forward. "I've had a couple of those too."

"I bet. I'd be surprised to hear anyone sleeping soundly these days." Naruto looked over at his predecessor. "Mine was about Hinata."

Kakashi's spiky hair fluttered in the uplifting breeze. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Naruto shook his head and took a deep breath. "Nope, I'm good. So, what are you here for?"

When Naruto saw Kakashi's eyes close, he knew it was going to be bad. Why was he always bringing him bad news? Naruto listened intently as Kakashi gave him the report. He asked a few questions but for the most part, he paid attention to the words and wondered why the sun didn't seem as bright as it did before.

"You left the others to handle it, then?" Naruto asked once Kakashi was finished.

"Yes. To be honest with you, Naruto, I couldn't stand to be there another second."

"Oh, I understand." the Hokage stated emphatically. He was trying to suppress the festering restlessness in his heart. If it had been him in Kakashi's place, he was positive he wouldn't have showed restraint with his emotions.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side. "Are you all right?"

Naruto could feel the muscles in his neck tighten. The forceful amalgamation of his fury and his compassion was building up as he thought about Kakashi's report. "No! This is awful timing! But— shit, I mean, that's not what matters here. Dammit, Kakashi- _sensei_! Things are fragile enough as it is. We're barely holding on and this whole ordeal is way too discouraging."

"I'm afraid they're only going to get worse too," said Kakashi. "Back when that kid tried to rob that store, I knew it was inevitable. I don't think there's anything we can do, Naruto."

Shockingly, Kakashi was suddenly pulled forward by the collar of his jacket by the Hokage. Naruto brought his face close to his own, and he was able to peer into all of the emotions he was experiencing directly. "No! That's not true! There's always _something_ we can do. I may not be able to control the choices of others, but I can control my own. And I see a future, Kakashi- _sensei_. It's not much, but it's all I can work with for now." His voice dropped to a bitter, unfamiliar level. "It's all I can think of."

He released his grip on Kakashi, and the man was free to stare in amazement at his pupil. Naruto looked at him apologetically but when Kakashi began to chuckle, his expression changed to one of confusion. "You never stop surprising me, you know, Naruto? I don't know how you do that, but it makes me happy when you talk like that."

"Like what?" the blond asked.

"With passion," Kakashi clarified. "I feel so drained of my own emotion lately that I can't even conceive of strong feelings anymore. But you've still got plenty, and I'm honestly jealous. We need that more than ever now, someone who can feel like you do."

Naruto blinked and thought about that. It wasn't long until his thoughts moved to their dire situation. "Do you trust my judgment, Kakashi- _sensei_?"

He answered immediately: "Absolutely."

"Do you think this unified village is a good idea?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I think that's irrelevant, honestly. Considering the circumstances, I don't think whether an idea is good or bad is important right now. What's important is that we can still agree on something. We can still crowd around an idea. Even during the war, there were moments where I didn't think that was possible." There was a powerful fondness in the look Kakashi gave Naruto then. "Even if it fails, Naruto, I won't have any regrets about following you."

Naruto felt his heart lift at Kakashi's words. The inspiration was almost tangible to him then and he had the urge to act, to move his hands and feet for a purpose. "Thank you, Kakashi _-sensei_."

Kakashi extended his hand out and placed it on Naruto's shoulder. "You make us all want to support you, Naruto. I'm drawing strength from you even now because of how much I want to help." His eyes narrowed for a second. "Do you still need volunteers for that infiltration team?"

Naruto's lips quirked. "We sent the public notice out last night, so no one's signed up yet…"

"I'd like to lead it, if that's all right?"

Naruto frowned. "Are you sure? I mean, you just mentioned how drained you were. You do know who you're going to investigate, right? Seriously, Kakashi _-sensei_ , I think a mission like this could really do some damage to—"

Naruto stopped because there was a pull in his teacher's gaze, a pull that was as potent as it was the first day he met the man. Kakashi spoke softly, but his words were powerful. "I need to do this, Naruto. I need to see the answers with my own eyes. I may be retired, but this mission is too important for me to step aside now."

If there was one concept that Naruto could not argue against, (mainly because it was his own driving point most of the time) it was resolve. And Kakashi was showcasing a large amount of it at the moment. He pondered if Tsunade had felt the same as he did then whenever he begged her for a mission. "OK. You've convinced me."

A spark of glee beamed from Kakashi's eyes. "That's not too hard to do."

The blond smirked. "Go ahead and gather three volunteers for the mission. You can leave as soon as you're ready."

Kakashi bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Naruto."

Naruto folded his arms. "You know, this might actually be a good idea. You're so careful all of the time that this could actually work out."

"That's only if this really is Orochimaru's doing. I'll be honest; I really hope we're wrong about that."

Naruto swallowed and could feel his hands get clammy. "I do too. You have my permission to do whatever you need to for the sake of protecting your team and the intel we need."

Kakashi performed a more formalized bow this time and turned to leave. As he was about to leave the roof, Naruto called out to him. "Oh, and—"

There was a knowing smile underneath Kakashi's mask as he interrupted. "Don't worry, if I see him, I'll be sure to bring him home."

Naruto watched him leave and felt better for it afterwards. He stayed there on the roof until the night came and brought the darker fear that made dreams seem all the more real. Only this time, Naruto welcomed his dreams as an escape. There was a fragment of freedom in that.

* * *

 **Thank you all for your patience! I know this took a while. I've been juggling between two jobs, so everything's kind of been hectic for me lately.**

 **I forgot to mention the change in time for this story earlier. The timeline in this story does not follow canon exactly, as some of you have picked up on. But it's close for the most part. The only thing I really changed was the age of Naruto as opposed to his children in canon. Boruto and Himawari were already alive when Naruto became Hokage, but we're not told how old he was when that happened. My guess is that he was in his thirties because his kids were fairly grown up by that point. I made him specifically twenty-seven in this fic. Because of the ambiguity of his age and the fact that the virus kills children anyways, I didn't think their births were all that significant. It's a very minor thing, but I wanted to clarify for those confused. If you still have any questions about my logic or decisions, let me know.**

 **Take care!**

 **-CM**


	9. Stars Break

Chapter 9: Stars Break

" _I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past."  
_

 _-Virginia Woolf_

* * *

In that open space of grass and verdurous foliage, there was a smooth portal to another world; it was a world of glassy, painted leaves that twirled in a sea of escaping woes. The emerald-encased trees stood tall and quiet in their eternal homes, watching and learning the ways of known ideals and past mistakes. There was no wind in the clearing, which produced a stagnant air, and the slight buzz of nature screened around it.

A person could forget here, Kakashi realized as he launched off a branch and landed into the clearing.

Anko was crouched behind a bush and shot him a troubled glare. "Where were you?"

Kakashi brushed the side of his nose. "I was checking with C about his perimeter. I told you that before I left."

Anko moved a hand against the leaves of the bush, startling the greenery enough to shake it. "Did you meet with Hana too? Is she back yet?"

Kakashi reached into his jacket and pulled out a scroll. He penned down a little note on it. "Not yet. The village she went to isn't far, though." Kakashi observed the wavering look Anko was giving him. Being this close to her old master was eliciting some poor memories. "We'll make our move soon, OK, Anko? We just have to wait for an opportunity."

They had been scouting the area for two days now. According to the locals, Orochimaru was spotted last at the hideout just a kilometer away from their current position. Kakashi had been trying to collect as much information as he could before they were to make their move. Unfortunately, a mandatory note had yet to be checked off.

Anko tore off a leaf from the bush. "This is wrong, Kakashi. Someone would have come out of that hideout by now. I really think he's moved somewhere else."

Before Kakashi could refute that, Hana's voice pierced through the smooth clearing: "No, they're still in there."

Hana Inuzuka and her three companions crossed the clearing, and Kakashi sent them a casual wave. "Any news from the village?"

Hana shook her head. She used to possess a warm, reserved look to her features, but it was replaced with an overwrought one now. "No, Kakashi- _sama_. They told me the same thing they did when we first got here: no one associated with Orochimaru has been seen there in over a week."

Kakashi scrawled down another note on his scroll. "I see. You can still smell them, though?"

"Yes," said Hana. "There's at least two individuals in there that I can smell. Although, as I said before, they are very hard to pick up."

"Could you elaborate on that some more?" asked Anko irritably. Her fingers were tearing apart a leaf, as if it was the only enemy she could have at the moment. "What the hell does that mean exactly? Either you smell them or not."

Hana's face scrunched, and one of her dogs grumbled lowly. She petted his head and calmed him into silence. "It's not that I can't smell them, it's that they don't smell _normal_ , like they're not human."

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That would make sense with Orochimaru. His composition is far too artificial, but you said the other person is similar?"

"Yes, but it's different, Kakashi- _sama_. It's an odd smell, but it's not like the other. It's hard to explain, but it morphs like water. It's very loose."

Kakashi nodded and scratched his pen on the scroll another time. "We're still going to need Kankuro to finish the map of the area. And I'm not moving forward until we can capture someone with information."

Anko raised her upper lip and revealed some teeth. "But there's only two people in there! And they've barely fucking moved! I know that guidelines are important, but so does being adaptable."

Kakashi's aloof attitude changed then. He leaned in, and his eyes seemed to straighten as they gazed at her. The wind picked up a little as well, as if it was demonstrating how serious the man was. "I'm not risking any more lives here, Anko. We're going to be careful even if it's done needlessly."

Anko grabbed the bush and swallowed. She fled from Kakashi's gaze and soaked in the words.

The former Hokage turned back to Hana. "I'm going to wait for Kankuro's report on the mapping. You can go to your side of the perimeter. Report back later tonight."

Hana bowed and then burst into a cloud of smoke with her three _ninken_.

After the Inuzuka had left, Kakashi leaned against a tree and looked up at the late afternoon sky. There was a tiny edge of guilt slicing through him as the lull deepened between him and Anko.

Kakashi attempted to break it. "It's a pretty nice place, huh?"

Anko stood up and moved away from the bush. "Orochimaru doesn't pick nice places for his hideouts."

Kakashi found a cloud in the sky and pondered; it reminded him of a body of water. Maybe a lake or a small sea. Did clouds ever look like that before? "Yes, well, I think that's open to debate. This place was significant long before Orochimaru ever showed up, you know."

Anko folded her arms. "No, I don't know, Kakashi. What's so significant about this little patch of forest that looks just like every other part of the country?"

He shrugged. "It exists. What's more significant than that?"

Anko's eyes widened, and they finally captured his figure again. Despite her expression, she didn't allow her shoulders, nor her pride, to submit; they remained rigid. "Spare me the philosophy, please. I don't have the patience for it lately."

Kakashi sighed. "No one seems to anymore, I'm afraid. It's a pity. I think it's the only way to get by."

Anko felt her shoulders drop a bit at that. "Why?"

"It's all we have." Kakashi was disappointed to see the cloud he had been watching break in form. "I just wish I realized that sooner in my life."

She wanted to dig into that a bit more, to indulge that curiosity. She was even going to ask him about the tragic incident the other day. Maybe she could have talked about it a little and released some bottled emotion, but they were interrupted before she could unearth any truth.

"Kakashi- _sama_ ," called Kankuro as he emerged from the brush.

Kakashi's body coiled slightly. "Yes, Kankuro? How's the map going?"

The original plan was to make a four-man team for the mission, but Gaara was adamant when he volunteered Kankuro's expertise. Kakashi had no qualms with the addition. His presence blended well with the diversity of the group. However, it was clear in Kankuro's countenance he would rather be by his brother's side in Konoha.

Kankuro was holding a scroll in his hands when he marched to Kakashi's side of the clearing. "Not yet, Kakashi- _sama_. But I've filled in a lot of spots. So far, I've discovered a few different entry points. There's even a couple of decoys and traps tossed around. I've never experienced such a thorough base before."

Anko scoffed behind them and wiped her hands. "Thorough doesn't even begin describe the sickness of that man."

If Kankuro was perturbed by such a statement, he didn't show it. He locked his attention on the task at hand. "If you'd like, Kakashi- _sama_ , I can try sending my puppets down some of the various tunnels around the hideout. I should be able to broaden the map that way."

Kakashi placed a hand on his team member's shoulder. "That'd be helpful, Kankuro. Thank you. Don't overdo it, though. Remain as cautious as possible. I'd rather have a lack of information than a casualty."

Kankuro bowed and turned to head out. "Understood, Kakashi- _sama._ "

Anko moved to the center of the clearing after Kankuro was long gone. "Why do you keep acting like that?"

Kakashi's eyes wandered to the sky again. It was nice to think of something constant, and he wasn't going to take such a blue luxury for granted. "Like what?"

"Like this is just any other mission," Anko commented. "You act like what's happening out there isn't happening at all."

"How should I be acting, then?"

"Like something fucking happened!" Her outburst felt so real to her, like she was finally breaking free of the fictile reality gripping her. She could use this anger. She could make it sing against the pain. "Like a family was broken before our damn eyes! Maybe you could at least pretend like you care?"

Kakashi's quiet voice negated her erratic one. "We've both seen worse things, Anko. We're shinobi."

"I know! Don't I fucking know it!" Her voice rose a little too high for even her liking then. She lowered it but kept it harsh. "We're always supposed to pretend like nothing affects us anymore, right? Like all the shit sort of just mingles together like a pretty damn jewel of self-reflection."

Kakashi didn't say anything to that. He didn't disagree.

Anko slowly sunk to her knees and felt the tall grass tangle in her legs. It was still cool to the touch even after soaking in the sun all day, and she silently wished she could be like that. She wanted to be able to withstand the endless onslaught, then maybe she could figure out why she was still there.

"I'm just so tired, Kakashi," she admitted. "I'm so tired of faking my composure. I thought the years of peace would have helped, but I guess it doesn't work like that."

Kakashi's voice didn't break. Instead, it lifted into the clouds. "I wish it did, though." He looked over to see Anko staring at him with disbelief. He would show her she wasn't alone. Somehow, that made it a little better. "Maybe it would hurt a little less."

They both remained in the clearing for the rest of the evening—forgetting the mission for a time to allow some semblance of tranquility—and the surrounding trees watched on with polite interest.

* * *

The forest was thicker than one would think. It naturally covered the land with a thriving presence that few could compare and surpass. Despite its healthy range, there was one area where it broke off so suddenly that no eye could miss it.

When Kurotsuchi reached the end of the forest, (an end that never should have existed) she took a moment to contemplate its vastness. She planted her feet and felt her lungs fill with the sharp air.

It looks brighter this time, she thought.

Back during the war, when they had all been battling a giant beast and two men obsessed with illusion, she remembered it being far darker in this place.

Akatsuchi stood next to her as their large team approached the edge of the trees with them. "Everything all right?" he asked her after her moment of introspection lasted longer than it should have.

Kurotsuchi's expression didn't tremble. "Yes, I just forgot how big it was."

The barren earth stretched far beyond their field of vision. Kurotsuchi was confident even her best sensors couldn't see the end of it. The forest curled around the old battlegrounds in a circular shape, but it was dotted with scorched patches and packed debris. It was formed into an elongated almost-oval, and her team was on its southernmost end.

Kurotsuchi blinked and assessed her team. Judging by their positions and vacillating glances, it was clear they were all nervous. Many of them had been there that day, just like her; they were returning to it.

Her voice was clear as it rang out across the open spacing. "Those assigned to measuring, begin from here!"

She heard a resounding agreement as her unit of four shinobi jumped forward and began running along the edges of the forest with their equipment. Even though she was certain of their speed and efficiency, it would be long after night fell until they brought back the measurements.

Kurotsuchi addressed the remaining members of her team. "We start here with our scouting movement. Keep all your reports clear. We'll stop after sunset."

There was a call back from the team, and they pressed on into the wasteland.

Off to the far eastern side of the team, Kiba and Tenten marched along the uneven ground. Akamaru padded softly behind them. The trip over had been quiet and uneventful for them. The pressure of the war-torn land must have been far greater than the code for silence because it didn't take long for Tenten to break it.

"Do you remember it being darker last time?" she asked him as they traversed over a sudden rise that dropped into a sudden crater.

"That's because it was night then," Kiba answered. "But I see what you mean." There were no clouds in the sky currently, but there was still a permanent duskiness to the land as if it was closed off from everything else.

Tenten took out her notepad and began her detailed report of her side of the survey. "Do you think it's a good idea to build here, Kiba? Like is this really the best place?"

"Isn't what why we're here, though?" he pondered grimly. "To figure that out?"

Tenten's lips thinned, and she felt her thoughts catch any response she could give.

Kiba sighed at her reaction and gazed at the rim of his vision. The land was so uneven in so many places that it appeared to be jagged and upturned like a graveyard of misshapen earth. The sun illuminated the grey crystals in the ground to produce a dim glow; that fact almost changed the demeanor of the area, but the gloomy reality covered too much.

Lives were lost here, and the land knew it.

"This might be the best place possible, Tenten," said Kiba with an air of melancholy.

Tenten looked up from her pad and creased her brow. "Huh? Are you serious?"

Kiba didn't like how serious he was becoming nowadays. It reminded him of how much he had changed. Shino would barely recognize him now. "Yeah, I think we need a place with a history like this. This way we won't forget anything."

Tenten kept the same expression. "And?"

"And we need this." Kiba shrugged. "Simple as that."

"Need what? A giant battlefield of dead people to remind us that we fought?"

Kiba frowned. "It sounds bad when you put it like that, but yeah. We need that."

Tenten felt like she knew where her companion was going with this, but her emotions didn't want to accept it. She would calm down later and think about his words of wisdom, but for the moment she was addicted to the outrage. It dulled the pain.

"I don't get it," she admitted. "I don't get any of this. Why do we have to move at all?"

Kiba stopped moving. There was once a hill where they stood now, but it was crushed by a fight from a great beast years ago. Akamaru stopped too and sat next to him, his tongue hanging out. "You know why, Tenten. You know exactly why." His eyes were solid when they met hers.

Tenten could feel the ground quake under her. It was going to swallow her whole. She wanted to fall into it. She wanted to get away from there.

Kiba felt his arm tense and then relax. "You were there too, Tenten. You saw what happened to that family. We're running out of time."

"Is moving away really the only solution?"

Kiba patted Akamaru's head slowly. "I don't know. But it's all we have."

Tenten couldn't refute that. After the gory incident she had witnessed, the only hope she possessed was founded in this unified village idea. She realized now that it's all any of them had, and that scared her. Because what if it failed? What if everything they were working for came tumbling down? They had one lifeline, and the risk was too great. She didn't want to believe this was the _only_ way. There was always an alternative to be adhered to, but maybe this was the _best_ way.

Tenten wasn't sure.

It wouldn't be until far later, after more agony was exchanged, that she recognized none of them had known what they were doing.

"I guess it does sound nice to start over," Tenten claimed.

"It almost always does, I think," Kiba added. "I think it's supposed to, otherwise no one would change."

The ground dipped and rose again. It did not welcome the company it was given that day, but it did not scorn it either. It was as indifferent as it was the day of the battle. All it did was soak up the blood and remnants of war. It never forgot the deeds of men, but it didn't matter if it did either way. The land was too quiet.

* * *

Gaara was seated at the table when Naruto came into the kitchen that evening. A steaming hot pot was placed in the middle of the table, and the blond shot his friend a quizzical look.

Gaara shrugged at the expression. "I was hungry and made too much. Would you like some?"

At that claim, Naruto smiled. "You bet. I wish you made ramen, though." Naruto sat across from his friend and opened the pot to shovel some food onto his plate.

Gaara inwardly chuckled at the Hokage's lack of formalities. He supposed he preferred that when it came to Naruto; it fit better.

"Were you with Darui again?" Gaara asked as he filled his own plate.

"Yeah," said Naruto, "I was busy trying to get him to move all his troops over here. It's been hard for him to separate, I guess."

After that comment drifted around the table, the atmosphere changed. It blurred around itself to procure an intangible feeling.

Gaara could feel that. "Yes, I understand that." Naruto's attention locked in on his friend. "Maybe we all do now."

Naruto chewed his food and swallowed. "Are you doing all right, Gaara? You've been alone all day, haven't you?"

The Kazekage nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I was supposed to help Shikamaru with a shipment of supplies coming in today, but he insisted he had it covered." A tired smirk extended across his lips. "In hindsight, I believe sending Kankuro on that mission was not my best idea."

"Why did you do it in the first place?" Naruto asked.

Gaara did not immediately answer that question. He instead reflected on it and allowed his mind to wander. He had been watching his brother closely ever since their sister had passed. Kankuro liked to think he was responsible for looking out for the Kazekage, and that he was maintaining his position of a stoic, vigilant bodyguard. And truth be told, Gaara's brother was quite apt at his job, but it was more common for Kankuro to be the one who required aid. When Matsuri had died, Gaara had clearly regressed for a brief moment and alarmed the both of them with his inability to control himself. But Gaara had also kept a close eye on his brother in that time, and he had seen it then.

Gaara had seen the abyss.

It was staring back at him through his brother's eyes. It was black and full of blank promises. He saw it in his nightmares, and he knew Kankuro struggled with it every day, probably more so than he did. And what a welcoming sight it was! It held wispy voices of softened dread that called to insanity and its frail attempts of repetition. Gaara wanted to slip into it, so quietly. It would be such an easy exercise, like going to sleep on a warm bed of flowers. What held him back, however, was not a misguided veneer of justice. No, that was Naruto's foible.

Whenever Gaara witnessed the inward struggle of his brother, he realized how it was pressing him towards the grave. It was a haunting view, and Gaara felt pain when he saw how hard Kankuro was fighting against the growing trepidation. In some divine and bizarre way, it gave the Kazekage strength to not surrender.

Gaara stuck his fork into a boiled potato and brought it to his mouth. "He needed it," he answered.

Naruto propped his elbows on the table. "What do you mean?"

"He needed a break." Gaara casually eyed the steam rising from the hot pot. "Simple as that."

"From you?" Naruto's eyebrow rose slightly at his question.

Gaara often found himself impressed by the blond and his scattered occasions of developed insight. "Yes, I suppose that's right. Kankuro needs a break from me right now."

Naruto seemed to be satisfied with that answer and leaned into his chair. "This is nice. We've got a lot of work cut out for us, but I'm glad we can sit here like this."

Gaara nodded and closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Indeed. I didn't think we would get moments like this anymore. It's quite the treat."

Naruto looked at the little window over the kitchen sink. The deep amber rays of the setting sun were brimming through the glass, and the blond recalled a pale silhouette dancing there just beyond his current vision. She had enjoyed that place once; her closed songs used to hum across from there on evenings like this. He wanted to call out to her and bring her back. But she wasn't there, and that's where the emotion came from.

"What do you do with it, Gaara?"

The question loomed over the two of them, as if it was asked aloud by some unseen third party.

The Kazekage wiped his cheeks with a napkin. "With what?"

"With the loneliness." Naruto was still staring at the little window dejectedly.

Gaara gazed at his friend and could feel the tugging on his heart. It was all breaking around them. The lives of the survivors were thrust upon on them and a cavernous gorge was placed underneath everyone. How could anyone handle that responsibility right now? They weren't strong enough for this.

"I don't think there's anything you can do with it, Naruto," said Gaara. The Hokage's attention returned to him. It was always amazing to Gaara how much emotion the man could carry in his cerulean eyes. "I think it's just there."

Loneliness wasn't a pliable concept. Naruto knew that, but he didn't ask the question to hear an answer from his friend. He just wanted to share the feeling with him. Fortunately, Gaara knew that too.

The Kazekage cleared his throat. "Do you think it's a good idea, Naruto? To be bringing everyone here for the time being? I can't help but feel like it's furthering our problems."

Naruto couldn't blame his friend for wanting to change the subject. The blond certainly enjoyed encouraging those who needed it, but it wasn't tactful then. "If it's all right with you, Gaara, I don't want to discuss any more business for tonight. Could we just eat here and chat? I realize now that we haven't talked much in the past few years."

Gaara blinked, but he didn't object; in fact, he smiled. So, the two Kage shared some much-needed words and even a few laughs. They were able to catch up and reminisce about the days where everything had seemed far simpler to them. Long after the steam had broken apart and the remaining food had turned cold, their nostalgic conversation still carried on into the night.

* * *

Dried branches cracked in the heat, and the sun burned bright to parch the rest of the land. The unforgiving rays blackened the ground to contrast the deep blue of the sky. It would be simple for any onlooker to admire such enriched color, but they would have been too occupied with their sweat and suffering. There was a firm cohesion to the forest around the village, but it was reliant on nature solely. It was unaffected by the people or their tragedy because it had accepted its own cycles without complaint and had readjusted to the call of change.

For the next several days, Konoha ignored the weather and welcomed the exhausted survivors of the other villages. Refugees comprised of shinobi and civilians alike flooded the abandoned districts of the large community. The leaders planned around the incoming visitors and instructed them to settle temporarily. Every able-bodied individual was tasked with aiding the cause. The shinobi headed the project, but many civilians worked as messengers and inspectors.

Temporary, makeshift abodes were built on the outskirts of the village for those who were unable to seize pieces of property for themselves. The shinobi acting as enforcement officials were kept busy by the growing rates of manic crime. Scattered rumors bounced around the new and old occupants of Konoha. Many of these rumors whispered of foolish leaders and were all laced with one terrifying power: fear.

Fear remains in the hearts of those it clutches. It feeds off irrationality but doesn't always act on it. Even when it tends to build off reason and the loss of sacred qualities, it centers itself on probability and the hearts of weakened souls.

Fear multiplied in this environment, and it took many casualties as the days progressed. With every issue of hope and detailed dream of a promised civilization, fear grew in the dark cracks.

Samui emerged from the cracks that day, and she was unhappy with how few had joined her.

When she found the Mizukage near the south wall of Konoha, she bowed politely before she relayed her message. "Raikage- _sama_ wishes to inform you that another unit of Kumo-nin should reach Konoha later this evening," Samui stated.

Mei had her back to the high wall, and she kept a fixed gaze on the patched tents in the small clearing in front of her. Despite the grueling heat, Samui could not detect any sign of fatigue or even perspiration on the woman. After hearing the message, Mei bit her thumb in a remote manner and sighed. "Well, then. I'll have to find some extra room." Her lips curved as she looked up at the blonde kunoichi. "Aren't we lucky that Konoha is so big? Kiri certainly couldn't house so many people without some complications."

Samui returned to a standing position and kept her face as stoic as possible. Truthfully, she had always envied a leader's right to remain casual no matter the situation. She would have loved to be given such emotional freedom and to be able to display it. But she was a disciplined subordinate, and she wasn't going to change now. Too much of herself was already so foreign to her. She didn't need to add more capricious tendencies.

Mei's visible eye darted around Samui's defined face. "Was that all he said?"

Samui felt her lower jaw slide forward, abrading softly against the teeth. "He also requested that I aid you with anything that you required, Mizukage- _sama_."

"Oh? Is that so?" Mei took a step toward the _jōnin._ "That will certainly be helpful."

Samui smiled tactfully. "If you'll have me, Mizukage- _sama_ , I promise to—"

"Did you know that a man killed his family and himself the other day?" Mei asked as if she was discussing the hot weather. Before the startled blonde could answer, the female Kage continued: "Or did you hear about the mother who smothered her kids last night? Maybe the alcoholic who keeps shouting at night about his dead wife? I'm sure you heard him, right?"

Samui cleared her throat and shook her head. "Mizukage- _sama_ , if you're trying to elicit a rueful response from me, then I'm afraid you won't get one."

Mei flicked a lock of her hair behind her shoulder. "And why is that?"

"Because I know all about those things." Samui wondered if her voice sounded as steady as it felt to her. "Too well, if I may say."

Mei didn't have to ask if she meant by experience alone. "I see. I hope you'll forgive me then, my dear. I've been rather rattled as of late."

"Understandable, Mizukage- _sama_. Were you trying to lead those questions into the area where you require the most aid?"

Mei smiled. "My, I see why you've lasted as long as you have… Samui- _san_ , yes?"

Samui nodded. "Yes, I'd be more than happy to help you with enforcing a state of peace in the village."

Mei looked back at the distanced tents. "It appears we left that state long ago, Samui- _san_. I'm just trying to keep my shinobi from acting on their nature." The redhead paused, and a mossy glint flushed in her eye. "Myself included, it would seem."

Samui placed her arms behind her back and felt her spine align rigidly. "Yes, well, it is difficult to keep ourselves in check during these times."

The Mizukage let out a dry giggle at that; the torrid air had more moisture. "Do you always keep up that formal speech, dear? To keep up with appearances and manners anymore is no easy feat. You have my respect as well as my admiration for that." Her eye possessed only kindness now, no muddled glints. "It's all I can give you for now, I'm afraid." After saying that, Mei changed to a more repressed tone. "If you can make sure people stay safe until we're ready to start moving everybody, I would appreciate it."

Samui felt no pull to bow. She knew it would mean more to the woman not to. "Thank you, Mizukage- _sama_. I will do everything in my power to enforce the law."

Mei smirked at that statement. "Enforce? Yes, I suppose that is what we're doing. Although, I'm not sure I like that word. It sounds too…detached."

Samui wondered about that. "Then I'll get to work, Mizukage- _sama_?"

"Yes. Seek out my subordinates and tell them I put you in charge."

The blonde felt the sudden rush to protest. "I couldn't possibly accept such an—"

Mei inhaled a large intake of breath through her nostrils. "Ah, my, that's refreshing. Your tone almost brings me back, Samui- _san_. I forgot how much I missed those pleasantries. But there's no need for your humility. It's wasted in this heat." Mei straightened the hem of her dress. "Report back to me at this time tomorrow on the status of the village. I'll give you further instructions after that."

Before Samui took her leave, she was stopped by a haunting last word from the Mizukage. For the rest of that day, the blonde was plagued by her murky implications. The heat didn't subside even into the night and neither did Mei's warning.

 _Don't let_ _it take you too._

Samui heard them bumping in the air, twirling with the imperfections of the souls in it. The stifling feeling blazed against her, and she pushed the fear away. But it was everywhere, and it was pulling everyone into the cracks.

* * *

 **It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to center my thoughts around this story. I'm afraid that's why it took me a while to get this update out. I had to work on it bit by bit for the last few weeks. I just wanted to make you all aware of that, but it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Anyways, send me a review or PM, if you can. I could always use some more motivation.**

 **-CM**


	10. Away from Tomorrow

Chapter 10: Away from Tomorrow

" _Most of us have learned to be dispassionate about evil, to look it in the face and find, as often as not, our own grinning reflections with which we do not argue, but good is another matter. Few have stared at that long enough to accept that its face too is grotesque, that in us the good is something under construction."_

 _-Flannery O'Connor_

* * *

The day the heat subsided was the first day Samui recalled feeling a true sliver of happiness since what had felt like ages. If she had been asked about the last time she had experienced such a feeling, she would have probably mentioned a cheerful encounter with her brother, one that ended with both of them laughing until they were gasping for air. But any expectation of reliving that joy had been lowered when her brother's laugh was bitterly diminished to a distant chuckle within her memories.

Samui found the cooler air refreshing when she stepped out into the streets that day. There was a tender buzz humming around her, and she felt a tiny jolt of energy surge through her body as she met up with her team.

For the last week, Samui had used her authority given to her by both the Raikage and the Mizukage to lead a small enforcement unit. Including her, there were four of them: two being from Kiri and the other also from Kumo. They were all adept fighters, but (just like her) there was an emptiness to them, as if a layer of themselves had been stripped from their frames. She had originally tried to combat that fact by keeping them busy with patrolling and enforcing the rising issues of the village, but with each passing act of depravity they witnessed, the remaining layers dwindled.

It really clawed at a person's psyche after a while, Samui realized. Every day it seemed the heinous crimes of the citizens were getting worse. Everyone's mental states were unsteady, and they were beginning to fall one after another. So around her team, Samui maintained a cool disposition and kept her intuition focused on the tasks at hand. She had locked her true thoughts away, her raw, unrelenting misgivings and frustrations, in order to instill hope in her teammates. So far, it seemed like she had been successful.

But the pleasant weather alone couldn't make her dejection go away.

When they passed a clothing store during one of their patrols, Samui could feel her despondent feelings squirm. A tattered _yukata_ hung loosely in the store window, and a distorted image filled her mind.

She was young and wearing a similar robe and her brother was leading her by the hand through a throng of people, and vivid colors were bursting forth from loud booths and signs along the streets of their village. Atsui was grinning at her, and he said something she couldn't hear. She tried to call out to him, to ask him to repeat himself, to warn him of his demise, to tell him to not forget her. And before her eyes, his face started to change; his mouth opened and twisted in agony. It appeared as if he had been stabbed. He let go out of her hand and she tried to grab him, but he was far away now. She wanted to run after him, but she became afraid when she noticed his face didn't stop twisting. His eyes sunk into their sockets and his mouth widened grotesquely to match the piercing laughter that was ringing through her ears. She was going to scream too—scream until she drowned out his madness with her own when a warm voice called out to her.

"Hey, Samui!"

She suddenly stopped. She was standing by the window of the clothing store, staring through the glass at an elegant purple _yukata._ And she felt warmed—so warm from the simple greeting. She turned in the direction of the voice, ignoring the concerned expressions of her teammates, and saw both the Hokage and the Kazekage waving at her from the other side of the street.

She blinked for a moment to consider the perplexity of her situation and after eyeing her comrades bowing next to her, she subsequently bowed with them. Naruto and Gaara approached them while the blond waved to them sheepishly. Gaara remained stoic.

"Please, don't bow," beckoned Naruto. "We were just saying hi."

Gaara seemed to sense Samui's discomfort when she raised her head. "Is everything all right, Samui- _san_?"

"Of course, Gaara- _sama_ ," she answered. She noted the look Naruto was giving her; it made her diffident. "We were just making our rounds and I got distracted."

Gaara nodded and didn't press the issue. "The Hokage and I have been looking over the reports of all the teams in the last week. We've been quite impressed with your team's dealings."

Naruto grinned. "Gaara's been looking over them, to be honest. I've just been running around for the most part. But from what I've seen by what you've sent us, Samui, I gotta say you're doing a great job."

Samui wasn't partial to compliments but she also found them to be pleasant enough by themselves, and Naruto's words seemed to enliven her. "Thank you, Naruto- _san_."

Naruto's eyes sparkled, but there was a sharpness to them as well; he had seen something and was trying to discern what it was. "In fact, Samui, do you mind if you could stop by my office in an hour or so? I'd like to speak with you."

Samui settled herself. She was definitely alerted by the invitation (whether it was with elation or apprehension was not clear, even to her) but was able to keep her features level. Her moment of aberration had passed—hopefully for good. "Absolutely, Naruto _-san_. I'll make it my priority."

Naruto grinned again and nudged Gaara. "I'd meet with you now if this guy wasn't pestering me about silly details. My mind feels like it's bursting."

Gaara's brow furrowed in irritation, but Samui noticed the slight amused curve in his lips. "Yes, well, we'll attend to our duties regardless of the 'silly details,'" added Gaara. "Sorry to have bothered you and your team, Samui _-san_."

Samui said it wasn't a bother and watched them leave down the street. One of her teammates said something to her, but she didn't hear them. That look of Naruto's didn't sit well with her. He knew, she thought, he knew what she was thinking. But how did he feel about it? Was he worried or just investigating? Maybe that's why he wanted to speak with her later.

Samui finished the patrol with her team. Thankfully, there was barely any commotion that day. She was certain it wouldn't last, but she took the break with gratitude. After she said goodbye to her team, (they still seemed concerned, but concluded they weren't going to get anything from her) she walked to the Hokage Tower.

The sky was open and clear before her, the wind riding smoothly through the trees. One thing she appreciated about Konoha was the vegetation it boasted and the constant wave of leaves that flew across her vision whenever a friendly gust happened to cleave through the air. And it was those very leaves that seemed to calm her. She had heard the nationalistic dialogues of the locals about their symbols of fire and leaves, but she felt the core idea about the leaf in particular was noteworthy. She understood how frivolous it could be or perhaps even was by any account, but there was also something rather significant about its consistency. Samui felt she lacked consistency in her life, and she was drawn to the leaves of Konoha in the same way a convict may be drawn to the deities of a religion; she was craving something she did not have.

Samui reached the tower and climbed up to the Hokage's office. Naruto was standing alone next to his desk when she entered. He was studying a scroll critically, and he reminded her of the kind of men who regarded everything—even the things they didn't particularly like.

He looked up from the scroll when he saw her stroll in and smiled brightly. "Hey, Samui!" There it was again. That greeting that warmed her. "I'm so glad you could meet with me. Seriously, it's been crazy lately trying to get a hold of people. I mean, I understand _why_ but still. I hope we won't have to worry about that once we get the new village up and running."

Samui tilted her head at that, smiling politely. "I would hope so as well, Naruto- _san_. It would be cool."

He grinned and leaned against his desk. "Yeah, it sure would. Well, I'm not one to beat around the bush, really. As you can see, I'm a bit swamped by everything, so I could use some help."

Her smile widened. "Of course. I can help with anything you need."

Naruto averted his gaze from her. "Uh, well, I met more as my personal assistant, if you don't mind."

Samui wanted desperately to answer him immediately, but there was a lull between her brain and mouth…comprised of purple robes and twisting faces. She couldn't help but feel caught off guard by it. "I...I'm not sure if I can, Naruto _-san_. I have the duties as team leader that the Raikage and the Mizukage assigned me an—"

"Yeah, but you're miserable," he said bluntly.

Samui shut her mouth, her eyes widening. She had been correct; he knew exactly what she had been thinking.

"I should have never let Mei put you in that position," he continued. He was frowning as he talked. "I wish the enforcement teams didn't exist at all, to be frank. It's hard on us shinobi when the civilians, the ones we're trying to protect, become our enemies, and I'd rather not have anyone have to deal with it. But it's necessary, I suppose." His frown seemed to deepen when he looked at her, as if seeing her struggle angered him. "Not for you, though. You don't have to keep doing it if you don't want to."

Samui wasn't sure if her throat was working, but her voice sounded clear enough when she asked: "Doing what?"

"Pretending."

Samui lowered her eyes to the floor. Was that really what she was doing? She supposed she was every time a feeling arose in her, but it wasn't far-fetched to presume everybody was dealing with that. They were all trying to maintain a fixture of composure for the sake of the future, so why was he focusing on her? Even though his words confused her, they were also uplifting.

"Why me?"

Naruto's smile delighted her. "Because I think we could both help each other. Darui says how helpful you've been back in Kumo, but he knows you like to bury yourself in your work. I get that. Sakura does the same thing. Hinata would do that with cleaning whenever something was on her mind, too. It's a lot more helpful of a quirk than what I do, I guess; I usually just mope around for a little while until I realize I gotta keep going or I'll be letting people down." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyways, if you become my assistant, you can keep yourself busy and I can make sure you don't get _too_ busy. Shikamaru has his hands full with all the planning right now, so I think that it makes sense to have you around."

"And my team?"

Naruto shrugged. "Chōjūrō could probably take over. Mei keeps mentioning how he's been idle. Honestly, Samui, if you don't wanna do it, I won't push it. I just didn't like how shook up you were today. It made me feel sad, like I was seeing someone who didn't feel like they belonged somewhere. I guess it's kinda like that, isn't it? Losing someone makes home feel like it's never gonna come back."

Samui nodded slowly. That was about right. Her sense of belonging had been misplaced ever since Atsui's eyes closed for the last time. "I'm really quite flattered, Naruto- _san_. But I still don't see why you're asking me. There's many qualified shinobi still available." She wanted to say 'alive' but managed to divert that impulse. "And you'd probably be better off with one of them."

"Well, there's another reason I'm asking you, Samui." He was showing her his teeth now with his grin, his entire face inviting her to stop rolling around in the dark with her mangled memories. "I just like spending time with you."

And that's when a simple and true sliver of happiness welcomed Samui for the first time since the outbreak. It was such a potent yet foreign feeling, but it was brimming with the cherished past to the point of overflowing. She was being washed, purified by the sensation because she was _needed_. Maybe belonging somewhere stemmed from that necessity or maybe it was only closely related. Either way, she wouldn't mind giving it a try.

"OK," she agreed after the overwhelming feeling faded. She could still feel its purity cleaning her, though—still encasing her nerves in a cool covering of appreciation.

Naruto must have felt some happiness, too, because before long, he was laughing at a story about Darui she told him. She could work with this, she thought. She could feel like she wasn't just trying to distract herself from reality when she was with someone who cared for her. She could reach that goal of consistency with Naruto around, and that prospect led somewhere.

She belonged here.

* * *

Kankuro observed the lone tree stump with a curious eye. It was obvious to him it had been artificially planted, but that was only because he was looking for such a thing. If he had been casually strolling through the woods on any other day, he would have passed the stump without a second glance. But this was a special day.

Hidden by the shrubbery around him, Kankuro quietly scribbled down the stump's location on his map of the area. He was almost positive this was the point Kakashi was going to pick for their infiltration. He had discovered a few others, but this entrance was the one that would have the least number of traps according to the info given by Anko about the general layouts Orochimaru was known for.

After he was finished, a bush shuffled for a mere moment, and he was gone. Kankuro flew through the treetops as he headed north towards the rendezvous point. The sky was a pale blue that day, and it made him feel restless, as if the world was wide awake and aware of everything he was doing.

He remembered his sister commenting on the uneasiness of missions long ago—about how one's instincts could either heighten your concentration or drive one to the brink of utter insanity. He had been somehow relieved at the time to hear her say that; it meant she had felt nervous too—that underneath her calm demeanor, she had felt fear. But now that memory didn't assuage him at all. His hands began to shake as leaves and branches sailed past his vision. Her words only dug into his unhappiness and painfully pulled out the realization that he would only ever have them alone and not the one who had said them.

Kankuro was greeted by his comrades in the clearing shortly after. He nodded to Kakashi who was looking at him inquisitively.

"Did you finish it?" Kakashi asked.

Kankuro held it out to him, his hand no longer shaking. "Yes, Kakashi- _san_. I also had no sightings of anyone during my reconnaissance."

"Very good," said Kakashi as he took the map and scanned it calmly. "Seems the back entrance to the south is our best option, would you agree?"

Normally, Kankuro would have smirked at the confirmation of his prior theories but doing so would seem petty to him now. He simply nodded and reclined against a tree after he was dismissed.

Anko approached Kakashi after he had spent more time scrutinizing over the map. "I assume you have a plan ready? Hopefully we can actually execute it before the virus infects the rest of us maybe? That'd be real swell."

Kakashi gave her no indication he was annoyed by her tactless jab, but she positive he was irritated by it. "I still want to apprehend and interrogate an accomplice before we proceed further," he said. "I'm not taking any chances."

"We've been here too long, Kakashi, and those chakra signatures have barely moved. I'm starting to wonder if it's a trap to distract us."

"No," he stated gravely as he turned to her, "it's definitely him. I'm sure of it."

Truth be told, Anko was certain Orochimaru was there as well, but she was frightened to admit it. She abhorred the idea of certainty altogether these days; it was like the notion of determining something as objective was only another cruel joke, a brutal display of the world still being against them.

"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked aggressively. "It can't simply be capturing someone by this point. Plenty of successful missions have been carried out without doing so, and if we're too cautious we might lose our chance. I _know_ you know that."

Kakashi turned south towards the hideout, his eyes surveying the vastness behind the trees before him. To Anko, it appeared as if he wasn't really looking at anything; he was only ruminating on events that would either never transpire or ones he could never change.

"I'm waiting for something," he admitted after the still moment was gone. "I'm not sure what, but it feels as if I can't control things anymore, like I'm just a passenger on a never-ending ride."

Anko didn't respond to that. She instead left him there alone for the remainder of that afternoon. Her own mind dwelled upon his words, for she was unable to disagree with them.

It was late in the evening when the ride Kakashi spoke of took a sudden drop. A white streak flashed into the clearing, suddenly alerting the three shinobi.

C brought his knee down—his chest heaving and sweat dripping from his brow—and bowed. "Someone just entered the hideout," he gasped.

As if on cue, Hana and the three dogs also appeared in the open space as the whole team's attitude solidified like stone.

Kakashi looked grimly at C. "How did they get past you?" There was almost no way someone could circumvent both C and Hana's surveillance.

"They didn't, Kakashi- _sama_ ," C answered. "Th-they appeared out of thin air. I sensed their chakra within the hideout, but I promise that they weren't there before."

Hana took a step forward. "The same goes for their smell. One second there was nothing, and then it was there."

"What about the other two chakra signatures, C?" asked Kakashi.

C's dark eyes were grave, alarmed. "Both are still there, but…one is fading."

Kakashi immediately turned to Kankuro. "Get your puppets out. We need to move quick." He then addressed the team as a whole. "We're heading for the back entrance. Kankuro has the front. Move."

In almost perfect synchronization, all five members flashed away from the clearing and made their way to the south side of the hideout. They all crossed the kilometer with precise haste and swiftly reached the back entrance.

Kankuro already had three of his puppets out and stood in front of the concealed trap door underneath the tree stump. Once he got the signal from Kakashi, he moved a chakra thread and a long blade split from one of the puppets. The blade quickly cut away the stump with one sweep.

Another puppet crashed open the trapdoor and was sent flying down the tunnel, the other two puppets following after it. What proceeded from there played with the team's imagination as they heard scattered explosions and hissings of smoke as the puppets unveiled the numerous traps hidden within the tunnels. One of the puppets must have been destroyed because only two remained when Kankuro brought them back.

"That should be good," Kankuro commented. "There's probably more traps inside, but I think I got most of them."

Kakashi nodded to Hana. "We need your nose then, Hana. Lead us."

Hana jumped into the tunnel with Kankuro, and his puppets were right behind her dogs. Kakashi and Anko followed with C taking the rear.

The tunnel was narrow at first, but it widened considerably as it neared the main chambers of the hideout. Hana and her _ninken_ darted around the curves and avoided any dead ends and traps as they traversed the corridors. Quite a few times during those tense minutes of exploration, Hana and her dogs would stop, sniff the air, and suddenly turn a corner without even a moment of hesitation.

Anko felt the sinister sensation ooze out of the carved walls as the team advanced deeper into the depths. She was accustomed to the chakra lacing of Orochimaru's hideouts as the peculiar man enjoyed putting his brand everywhere he could. At one point, she had felt he had made it his personal mission to attach his surroundings with the eerie, decadent aura only he was able to produce.

At certain points within the tunnels when Hana would seek out a trap the party couldn't evade, she would signal wordlessly to Kankuro who would then send out a puppet to activate it from a safe distance. Every time a chemical toxin or a deadly gas emitted from a trap, caution would be visible upon everyone's face. The virus could be present in anything. They could already be infected for all they knew. But none of them spoke of their fears; they simply kept this pattern going until the tunnel finally opened to a bigger chamber.

The room was large and empty. There was a single wooden door on the other side of it. Hana pointed to it when they entered the chamber. "They're beyond that door. All three of them."

Kakashi could feel the bleak dread from the opposite side of the door. Orochimaru was there; he was certain of it. Anko could feel it, too. Her face had lost all color, and she was shaking with a fixed gaze towards the door.

"And there's no else?" Kakashi inquired.

"My nose would have picked up anyone else," Hana clarified.

C stood in the back and had a concentrated expression. "I don't sense anyone else, either. The fading chakra is still there, but it's dropping at an alarming rate."

Kakashi stepped forward and approached the door. A leader had to make these kinds of decisions, he told himself. He was still being cautious. No one was going to die. The truth would be known soon enough, and they could make a future. The door was the next step to hope. He just had to open it.

Later, after their sins had become so tragically apparent, he would regret ever knowing the truth, for the other side had too many problems—too many mistakes.

The wooden door opened when Kakashi pushed it inwards. The adjacent chamber was bigger, and Hana's nose had been accurate. In the middle of the large room, two men stood over the prone figure of a dying man. The dying man was reclined on a bed, and the two men stood on either side of it.

Kakashi could feel his jaw his loosen and his eyes widen in shock.

Suigetsu grinned when he saw Kakashi. "Damn, you guys are noisy," he chided.

Sasuke Uchiha didn't look up from Orochimaru's body. Even after Kakashi tried to call out to him, to make some sense of the situation, Sasuke's stoic visage did not change.

* * *

 **Terribly sorry for the hiatus on this story. I decided my other fic was my main priority, so I had to finish that up. Now that that's cleared up, this is the only story I'm working on for the time being. I think I'll focus on one story at a time for now. Considering how patient you've been with me, I should have probably made this chapter longer, but I thought this sufficed in the end. I have a pretty clear idea of how I want the rest of this fic to play out, so it's just smooth sailing from here. Should be fun.**

 **-CM**


	11. Undulation

Chapter 11: Undulation

 _"Man cannot possess anything as long as he fears death. But to him who does not fear it, everything belongs. If there was no suffering, man would not know his limits, would not know himself."  
_

 _-Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace_

* * *

Sakura reclined her weary head into her hands and sighed. The only light in the dark little hospital room was leaking from her desk lamp and it fell upon her papers in a way that seemed unnatural to her, as if she should be somewhere else, toiling over her futile work to a point where she could be satisfied. But that was the thing, wasn't it, she thought coolly; she would never be satisfied. Because no matter how she approached it, there was no way to battle perfection.

The more she learned—the more she scrutinized over her findings with the desperate eyes of a woman who needed rest and a full belly more than anyone—the more she realized how big the wall she had to climb really was, and she was starting to see that it kept on going. There was no end to it. It just kept on going up and up and up until the hands of the climber became bloody and distorted and they fell down and down…

"And down…" she whispered hopelessly to herself. Outside, the night was probably windy and unsure. If she had picked a room with a window in it, then she would have looked out it now, but she couldn't have distractions.

She had honestly tried everything. While Naruto and the other Kage had been planning on their measures, she and Shizune had grinded through every night with as much vigor as they could muster. But how did one approach such a perfect creation? Because that's what she was dealing with: absolute perfection.

Over the last few days, her team had discovered three crucial constituents of the virus. It practically re-engineered itself every twenty minutes, morphing into almost a completely separate agent yet with the same agenda as its prior form. No matter what, the virus would systematically perform the same malignant procedures over and over again until the host inevitably died. It would target the systems of the body with such precision that it was baffling how accurately it swept through the biological defenses. Each component of the virus had a goal, and every patient was powerless to its efficiency. Sakura, along with everybody else able to still see, could only watch in awe as it killed thousands of lives with ease.

And there was no stopping it. At first, she had tried approaching it the same way with every other virus—to find a vaccine that activated antibodies against it. But the problem was that the fucking bug literally _destroyed_ antibodies. Simply put, antibodies were supposed to kill infected cells which, in turn, stopped the reproduction of the virus. But this didn't reproduce like a normal virus. Because it was constantly changing, it just kept on making more and more lethal copies of itself. Every cycle produced a different strand that was a bane of antibodies everywhere. As soon as one showed up, the virus would become hostile and destroy it with cold accuracy. It was this analysis that prompted Sakura to try a different tactic. If the body's natural antibodies weren't strong enough, she would make her own. Turns out, that was near impossible even with their recent advancements in medical technology. Synthetic antibodies had been manufactured by Tsunade herself a few years back, but none had enough resilience to outlast the hostile assault of the disease. In the end, Sakura had actually gotten close. Her most effective antibody had crippled an isolated infected cell, but the next cycle simply had to come around for it to be voided.

Shizune had then proposed finding the commonalities between the survivors to help them, but unfortunately there weren't any. There wasn't some blood type or strand of DNA capable of preventing the virus from infecting the survivor. Sakura had conducted numerous tests, each one more stringent than the last, trying to isolate a pattern, a damn similar quality, fucking _anything_ that could give her a hint. But there was nothing. The individuals who were not infected were ignored, as if a cold spirit of judgment simply passed over them with dull disinterest.

But that didn't make sense. There had to be something, Sakura thought. There had to be a damn reason she was still alive. She and Shizune, in a moment of despair, had actually _injected_ themselves with the virus and it resulted with them being unaffected. After observing the virus in a sample of her blood, she had seen it swimming lazily through with no intention of harming a single cell. And, frankly, that infuriated her, watching the damn thing just trot along in her blood like it didn't give a shit just enraged her very core. It was as if she didn't matter in the slightest, and that whoever devised such a monstrous agent was just as flippant as they were depraved.

And now, here she was, looking at her papers with the blunted awareness of her limits. She had asked Shizune to take the night off and probably should have done the same herself, but her bruised ego was holding her captive.

She just wasn't smart enough.

Shizune and Tsunade had more experience and talent ultimately, and even the two of them together with every medical tool available wouldn't be able to stop anything. Because perfection didn't care about effort—as soon as an attempt fortified with good intent and proper knowledge came bounding up the road with its goods it would be crushed by perfection's might every time. Good intent had mistakes, and one mistake created a great division between perfection the same way the ever-growing wall separated Sakura from her goal.

And as Sakura sat in her chair with the darkness creeping up her legs and her fatigue settling in smoothly like a warm blanket, she clutched a terrifying truth: the virus kept changing. That meant it could one day change into something that would kill them all. No survivors. No more humans. Only the unaffected animals and trees would live on in the world. Sakura's last infected patient had died a few weeks ago, but that didn't mean the virus had died with them. It could still be lingering (and based off the detailed intricacies of its makeup, it would be safe to assume it could survive without a host for years) in the air, biding its time for when it could become bold enough to take away all of humanity.

And that's when Sakura pushed away her fatigue. She sat up in her chair and slapped her cheeks sharply. She could do this. She had to. If she didn't, then they all could be dead. If a brilliant mind could create perfection, then an even more brilliant mind could beat it. Because there was one crucial thing she had forgotten about hope—that it was the promise against perfection, that it was always standing on the hilltop to proclaim its merciful words that regardless of humanity's best interests, there was no such thing as perfection. The world was finite and that made its complexities have pits where one could capitalize on the mistakes of others.

Sakura scribbled away on her papers, circling statistics and notes with a careful eye. She would find a commonality somewhere. She must have overlooked something, and it was that notion of error that kept her hoping. The wall did end; it was just real high up there and she would reach the top.

* * *

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"What do you think?"

Kakashi felt unnerved by that and slumped his shoulders. "I'm here because of...a hunch, I suppose."

Sasuke's eyes didn't carry animosity for his answer, but Kakashi knew him well enough that the man was still irritated. He furthered Kakashi's suspicion when he said: "A hunch? Amusing."

"Oi!" called Suigetsu on the other side of the room. Anko was sitting next to him, looking irritated herself. The others of the infiltration team had proceeded to survey the rest of the hideout after their findings proved to be disappointing. "Stop being an asshole!"

Sasuke glared at his comrade but spoke to Kakashi. "Nevertheless, your intuition has kept its efficiency; I'll give you that. But what would you have done if I was an enemy?"

"We were as prepared as were going to get," Kakashi added dryly. "I won't be conceited enough to say the four of us could have survived a battle with you specifically, but I believed there were not many opponents still alive today who would have presented a significant threat."

"Fair enough," said Sasuke impassively. "Frankly, I had been expecting Konoha to be slower on the uptake of this ordeal."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Even Naruto?"

At the mention of the Hokage's name, Sasuke's expression possessed faint intrigue. "I suppose."

"He's still alive, you know."

Sasuke nodded like he didn't hear him. "I heard about the unified village idea. Do you think it's a good one?"

Kakashi blinked. It had been some time since he spoke with his former student. Sasuke had grown a lot since then, but that inability to be direct about his feelings (even when they were being prodded) would probably never disappear. "I don't know. I think it's the best thing we can do for now, but it does make us vulnerable. If matters were still peaceful that wouldn't present a problem but—"

"It's never been peaceful," Sasuke cut in. His face was stoic and indomitable. Kakashi questioned then what the man had seen in the last few years of watching over the village. What tragedies had he witnessed? Or even worse, which ones may he have caused? Maybe some men could never know peace even when they were able to. Maybe those choices were not always taken, purely for the reason that they didn't want to. They could never allow themselves to embrace a moment of rest, almost as if they knew the world wouldn't accept such trivialities. "But I agree with you. It does leave you vulnerable."

"Although not as much as I originally thought," Kakashi said as he gazed at the bed in the center of the room. The corpse of Orochimaru lay there, hollow and spurned. "It's going to be hard for people to accept all this as a simple mistake, I'm afraid, but at least now we know."

Sasuke huffed. "Is that the conclusion you've made?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Again, are you being rhetorical?"

Sasuke shook his head. "You're not a dense man, _sensei_ , and it's almost disappointing to see you not connecting the dots." Before Kakashi could ask for him to elaborate, Sasuke beckoned to Suigetsu. Suigetsu approached him and listened as he whispered in his ear. They both whispered to each other for a few moments until Sasuke then turned his attention back to Kakashi.

"What are your exact suspicions about this disease, _sensei?_ "

Even though Kakashi desperately wished it wasn't so, the honorific from his student sounded as mordant as it did unnecessary. "Our medical team…" Kakashi paused to consider mentioning Sakura, but the serious gleam in Sasuke's eyes made him falter, "has deduced the disease was man-made. Knowing that, there are not many individuals capable of creating such a devastating strand. Orochimaru seemed like the obvious suspect." His strained gaze fell on the dead man once again. "But if he did make it, then he was rather careless about its capabilities...which, frankly, doesn't sound like him."

A tiny, quick smirk etched Sasuke's lips. "I won't say your judgments are fast, _sensei_ , but you're getting warmer. Orochimaru never performs an experiment with himself at risk. He's too cautious. Everyone is expendable except for him." Sasuke stared at the cadaver, the dead man who had trained him at a time when matters had been unstable enough to make him question some of his strongest beliefs. In his own way, he supposed he wouldn't be the man he was that day without him. He still had trouble figuring out if that was for the better or not.

"But then who remains?" Sasuke asked loftily.

Kakashi didn't like this game his former student was playing. The biting disrespect was starting to rile him, but he suspected Sasuke was ultimately amusing himself. Considering the morbid circumstances lately, perhaps it would be insensitive to assume malcontent. "Personally, I'm not sure there's anyone else."

This time, Sasuke's smirk stayed longer. "Precisely."

"So, he did create it?"

"Most likely, but he wasn't the one to _release_ it."

Upon hearing that, Kakashi's mind began to spin. It wouldn't be improbable to assume Orochimaru had one day decided to test his knowledge of virology. Somewhere in that darker scientific mind, there was a home of hypotheses dwelling cozily, standing by for the time where they could be executed and questioned appropriately. And what had that mad man discovered? What terrible conclusions had he reached and locked into some vault where no oily, imprudent hands could grab it? Who else would be so close to him that they would even know about such darker secrets to exploit? Of course, even assuming all that, there couldn't be a person alive who would consider unleashing such pure ruination…

Suddenly, a face came writhing and squirming into Kakashi's mindscape, like a decaying worm, and he began to feel a knot tensing in his stomach.

He looked at Sasuke with fear. "No…"

Sasuke nodded, his smirk gone. "I'm afraid so. We must hurry now. I need you to come with me to meet with the others."

Kakashi barely heard him over the loud thoughts in his head—the cruel connections he was joining with the knot tightening ever so steadily. "O-others?"

"I believe you're acquainted with my colleagues, Karin and Jūgo, but it must have been some time since you've last met with the Godaime herself?"

Kakashi took a step forward, surprise evident in his eyes. "You know where Tsunade- _sama_ is?"

Sasuke said nothing more; he only waved his finger for him to follow, and Kakashi and his team left the hideout a few minutes later with the two men, accompanied by anxious footsteps and the ever-increasing dense fog that hung heavily on their shoulders.

* * *

Shikamaru pushed the bowl of rice aside with a hint of contempt. He hadn't tried to make it look so obvious, but his slight disdain didn't match the fury in Ino's eyes when she saw the gesture.

"Why don't you just spit in my face while you're at it?" she disputed.

Shikamaru rubbed his temples as the feelings of grief and exasperation surfaced within him, for he could hear his late wife saying something similar.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean anything by it. My appetite's just taking the morning off, I guess."

Her face seemed to grow smaller in scrutiny. The scattered light of the morning broke through the curtains and just missed her face, but he could still view her clearly enough. He managed to keep his gratitude for her allowing him to stay in her apartment, and that helped ease his better judgment. Why was he always plagued with such stubborn women?

"The smell's practically gone by now," she stated, as if she was commenting on the weather.

He didn't bother to ask what she meant. The majority of the dead had been put (along with their stench) to rest, but there were still bodies that lingered, some hidden and kept that way for good reason, others were merely forgotten like the leftovers of a bad meal.

"It's not that," he clarified, "it's more just where my mind's at, really."

"Oh? And where's that?" She took a seat next to him at the table.

"I've just been getting a bad feeling lately."

Ino scoffed. "Lately? You mean since most of the world's been killed off? Well, now that's funny. Can't see what the problem could be. Why would you be feeling _bad_ after that?"

The remaining fragments of emotion stemming from his recent memories of Temari were being hastily replaced with those rougher ones of annoyance. "Would you cut it out? I'm being serious."

Ino crossed her arms and huffed indignantly. "So am I. You think you can just seclude yourself in your thoughts and not tell me what's going on; I'm not your damn wife. I can leave your ass at any time and my conscience would be clear."

And that piece of information confirmed Shikamaru's suspicions well enough. She was scared—afraid he was going to leave her alone after what had happened last night. Until recently, he probably would not have known her to be so reactive and unstable despite knowing her most of his life. But then again, it was hard to determine anybody's character nowadays. He barely knew himself anymore.

Shikamaru wouldn't play off the fear, though. He knew the only way to combat her misgivings was to attack the cause of them—that and honesty sure helped, too. "I'm not going anywhere, OK? I've been thinking about where things are going is all, and I'm...well...frightened by where it's led me."

Her anger must have been shallow (he figured as much) because it dissipated from her face suddenly like a ripple in a pond. She averted her eyes from him, ashamed, finding the tiling on the kitchen floor more interesting.

"The world's been knocked off balance and we're trying to set it right again," he continued. "And I'm starting to think that maybe it's a little too big of a task for us. It's a little funny, you see, how predictable humans can be." Shikamaru wasn't as versed on sociology as some other citizens of Konoha, but it wasn't hard to make the necessary connections. "We tend to think we're all special, that we won't make the same mistakes older generations have, but we're only fooling ourselves. Humans have a hierarchy of needs—a certain scaling of needs we all have to master so we can reach our greatest potential." He eyed Ino directly. "And that requires stability."

Ino shuddered at the vehemence in his voice. "But isn't that why we're all working on the unified village? So we can get that stability?"

"Of course," Shikamaru said quietly, although his voice still carried that polished intensity. "But that's precisely where I think the problem is...or will come from at least. We're focusing on that goal because it's the _only_ one we have. Even if it's a good idea, and I'm not so sure it is anymore, that doesn't mean it will satiate the human need for stability. We need structure and when it's been horribly destroyed, we cling to any remnant of it with such dangerous desperation that we tend to neglect the repercussions."

"I don't understand, Shikamaru," said Ino. "You're making it sound like it's hopeless. We still have our leaders and enough shinobi to get things done. It's not like there's only a few hundred of us. There's still a rather strong semblance of civilized life intact."

Shikamaru shook his head. "I know; I could absolutely be mistaken. I usually overthink things, but I just can't shake this gnawing feeling. It seems too easy to me, like we're being given a handout too soon for it to be considered the best option. Typically, the best one is the most organized. So maybe we were too hasty. Maybe our desires of wanting to get things back to normal superseded our ability to discern accurately."

Ino brought her hands up, attempting to wrap her own head around his words. "Where is this coming from? Do you have anything tangible to back up your worries?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "To be honest, I'm scared that I _might_ , but I'm not certain. All I know is that those humans in the past who tried to make decisions for the majority not only discarded them completely but also usually started revolts or uprisings in the process. We just lost our unity. If it wasn't for Naruto, we'd be as scattered and as isolated as we were during the Warring States Period. Well, if it wasn't for him, we'd all be stuck in an illusion, but you know what I mean."

"So this is all hypothetical?" she asked incredulously.

"Not necessarily. Look, all I'm saying is that human nature just doesn't disappear simply because a convenient answer shows up. Not everybody likes the idea of a unified village; they just like _Naruto_. And the guy's not perfect. He's probably the best person for the job, sure, but he makes mistakes, too. He has limits. If we trust him too much, then maybe we really will fail. While we're busy trying to get things back in order, people are out there losing their minds and I can't help but feel that that's exactly what's _supposed_ to happen."

Shikamaru's voice had dropped so low that Ino was close to him, almost as close as they had been last night. "What? You mean...that someone planned all this?"

"I don't know," Shikamaru said gravely. "My intuition's not as sharp as someone like Sasuke or Naruto's, but I think it's trying to tell me something, that maybe we're too late. We were given a chance to make things right, but we fucked it up…"

Ino's brow furrowed in thought. He felt the inward battle he saw from her was reminiscent of a time where he could still talk without abandon. Back then, there hadn't been any concerns about the basics and he missed those days. But she brought it back with her hesitation and that adorable twitch in her lips whenever she really wanted to say something. When she ultimately surrendered, he also found that to be adorable.

"What do you think will happen if I get pregnant?" she asked, the twitch still prevalent on her lips.

Shikamaru wasn't surprised to hear her say that. It was a logical question. They had taken precautions, but their night of passion could also be seen as a mistake. Despite that, he had been able to forget about Temari then—lost in the smoothness of Ino's skin and tender caress. Her reluctance at the time had been expected, but before long her needs took over and she came to him. She had been gentle with them, as if she had been frightened he would break and he didn't realize until later how much he had needed that. He had read somewhere, some poet maybe, that grief often elevated the wants for intimacy.

Humans really weren't all that special, he surmised; they just kept making the same mistakes over and over again.

"We'll worry about that if and when we need to," he finally said after the light had moved higher in the sky.

She nodded absently. "Then, we should do the same about your worries. We can't focus on something that hasn't happened yet."

Shikamaru smiled—not because he thought she was right but because it was something Temari would have said, and in that moment of daytime clarity and brightness, he almost believed her.

* * *

Naruto signed his last paper for the night. He sighed contently in his seat as he leaned backwards, that soothing sense of satisfaction coating his nerves. Preparing for a large-scale movement of any kind apparently always took a lot of paperwork. He found some comfort in that, as if the world was slowly on the path back to normalcy. He also supposed that because he would be partially in charge of one of the largest civilizations in recorded history if everything went according to plan, then he would be overwhelmed with even more work in the future. Oh well, he thought cheerily, a small price to pay if it means everyone will be safe.

As if on cue, the door opened and Samui poked her head in. "Got time for a break?"

Naruto grinned from his chair. "Good timing. Wanna get some dinner?"

She stepped into his office, smiling hopefully. "Sounds cool."

She had been smiling a lot more this past week, he noticed. He liked the thought of that being because of him. She had also grown more accustomed to being less formal with him, something he knew was a big deal for her. Perhaps that had something to do with the smiles? He wasn't really sure, but he was thankful nevertheless.

He grabbed his coat and followed her outside the building. When they made it outside, she turned to him with a perceptive gleam in her eye. "Can we not get ramen tonight, please?"

He laughed at that. "Sure, sure. I guess we've been getting that a lot lately, huh?"

"Almost every night," she said pleasantly. "I don't really mind, but there is other food, you know."

"All right. I think they've just put up a booth for barbecue in the square. That work?"

She nodded, and they strolled towards the center of town. Over there, the other shinobi teams had built some temporary stalls along with the other supply tents. A few of these stalls supplied some comfort food (thankfully for him, one of them was a ramen stand) as an attempt to raise morale among the civilians and shinobi alike. So far, they were very popular.

As they walked, Naruto noticed the layered air around the two of them. He thought its top layer possessed a restoring quality, but underneath there was a layer he couldn't really distinguish. It was concealed, and he wasn't sure if they were _both_ trying to keep it that way. Well, these things often revealed themselves in time, at least, he hoped they would.

They passed a team of shinobi (most of them brandishing Suna clothes) carrying supplies to the outskirts of the village. From there, the teams led by Shikamaru organized and consolidated everything they would need for their great migration. Once Kurotsuchi's team had finished surveying and laying the foundations at their prospective location, then Gaara and Darui could begin their first expedition of refugees—composed mostly of builders, architects, and other practical workmen—and start construction. If matters went smoothly, Shikamaru and Gaara said the new village could be established by next summer.

And, somewhere deep down in a place where he would never admit it aloud, Naruto was petrified.

Samui watched the passing team with mild interest. "We're making some great progress, aren't we?"

Naruto nodded, subconsciously straightening his back. "Yeah. Things are starting to smooth out, too. It seems people are calming down according to the reports."

"Which is just wonderful," she added jubilantly. "I was getting real tired of the outbreaks among the citizens."

Personally, Naruto didn't think they were over. They were just at a temporary halt. He had a nagging feeling that matters would get worse before they got better again. Although this time, he'd be ready.

"Me, too," he added. "I think everybody's excited for the village."

"Of course they are, Naruto- _san_ , and they should be. It _is_ a cool idea, after all."

He felt a swell of pride from that. She was right; he was probably worrying over nothing. However, in the more sensible part of his brain, he knew it would be wise to remain cautious...just in case.

"Thanks," he said.

She gave him a small smile. "You know, it's rather amazing to see how rapid of a change some people have gone through since the epidemic started. I guess it's to be expected…"

Naruto glanced at her. "Would you say you've changed, Samui?"

"A little," she confessed. "I used to be far quieter; I only really talked when I had to."

"Why do you think that is?" he asked, his interest growing steadily.

"Are you interrogating me, Naruto- _san_?" Her tone was neutral, but he could sense her liveliness.

"Not at all. I just know it's best to talk about these things." His eyes lowered to the ground. "That's something my wife often said to me. She enjoyed it when I told her what I was thinking."

"Oh…" She almost sounded apologetic, the liveliness vanishing into the lower, hidden layers. "Well, to answer your question, I think it has to do with my brother."

Naruto snapped his fingers. "I remember him. He was trapped with you in that gourd thing back during the war, right?"

Samui nodded, her expression taking on a somber form. "Yes. We were quite close, despite how different we were. We had almost completely opposite personalities. He was the one who was always talking, and I was the one who always listened." Naruto wasn't particularly fond of the growing weariness in her voice; it reminded him of how dreary it must have sounded when he spoke of Hinata. "Now that he's gone, I think in some way, I'm trying to compensate for his loss—trying to fill in the emptiness."

"Was he your only family?" Naruto asked slowly.

"My parents also passed away, but they were already bed-ridden before the disease came. I...didn't really have anyone else."

Naruto was shocked by that. He almost asked her how old she was then and why she didn't at least have a boyfriend, but he could practically feel Sakura's fist striking his head at the thought. Impolite questions toward women was a bad habit of his. He opted for a less dangerous one: "Are you happy with this change you mentioned?"

"I'm not sure. I'm still trying to get used to it. To be honest, it's a little scary, kind of like there's a stranger in me."

Naruto smiled, sensing an opportunity to aid her a little. "If it helps, I think I like this stranger. She's a good friend."

Samui's smile was much bigger this time around. "Thank you, Naruto- _san_. You know, I think I do feel a little better after talking about this."

He grinned cheerfully. "See? It helps a lot, huh?"

"It does. Now, what about you? I wish to return the favor. Despite me being a stranger, I'm still pretty good at listening."

He rubbed the back of his head idly. "I don't doubt that." He then proceeded to tell her about his wife and unborn child. Her immediate reaction was one he had expected; he had seen enough of it lately. Yet, even with her sympathies, he knew she genuinely cared for his grievances. With everyone experiencing losses, it was rare to see authentic empathy anymore. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to see Samui had kept hers.

"I think that's terribly tragic, though, Naruto- _san_. You didn't even get to see your child." She furthered the sincerity of her words by rubbing the slight wetness in her eyes. "I've never been a mother, but I'm sure the pain is unbearable."

She wasn't wrong. "Yeah, but in all honesty, I wasn't sure if I was ready to be a father. When she had told me she was pregnant, I didn't really know what to think. That being said...I really was looking forward to it." There was more he wanted to say on the subject, but his words were caught, as if there was a sticky web in his throat. And the web didn't want him to say anymore because it knew. It knew it'd hurt him.

"You would have made a great father, Naruto- _san_ ," she declared. "I truly believe that."

He thanked her and shortly after that, they reached the center of the village. The barbecue stall was busy, but they waited in line patiently. The food was warm and delicious, and they kept the rest of their conversation light. And the night passed on into the velvet shades where it was easier to forget, and that's where Naruto forgot his worries. Just for a little while.

* * *

 **I believe the old vigor for this story I had when I first started is beginning to surface in me again. It was kind of missing for a while there, but good ole inspiration doesn't stay away forever thankfully. I'm genuinely having fun here and I hope you are, too. I'd be happy to clarify anything if you need me to. See you again soon!**

 **-CM**


	12. Not All Things Are Forgiven

Chapter 12: Not All Things Are Forgiven

" _In the ground we bury_

 _the seeds of a pear tree._

 _All the things we carried_

 _now we're down to our bare feet."_

 _-Francis And The Lights_

* * *

He felt the drizzle of water splatter upon his forehead. The drops trickled down the stalactites of the cave, carelessly unaware of where they landed. He stared with stern concentration at the steady fall of the water until he remembered where he was and where he needed to be. With his mind beginning to focus, his feet picked up and slid across the cave floor in brisk, long strides.

As he walked, he ran a hand against the rough limestone, feeling its coarse texture. He felt a broad smile slowly envelop his lips as his fingernails scratched the grainy surface. For a while now, his senses had seemed heightened, as if the closer he came to the truth the more it rewarded him with the gift of real discernment.

How satisfying, he thought gleefully.

He had always wanted to feel such things—to sense the purity as well as the more unrefined qualities of the world with perfect comprehension. Back before the war, when his decisions were more comprised of imitation rather than individuality, he had thought he had obtained that comprehension. He thought he had grasped those loose, obscure concepts so many humans ponder but never really reach, and thanks to the significant events of the war, he later realized he had been wrong.

He had delved into himself, thrown aside the expectations of others, and really looked at who he was. And what he found was a bleak emptiness, a hollowed man who didn't understand the finer points and nuances of himself or who he could be. Initially, that had appalled him. But after considering it, his disgust started to wash away. It allowed him to settle down like the sifting dirt on the bottom of a lonely pool, and he hadn't been the same ever since. At that time, he distinguished himself as a different man, a man who would search for who he really was and what the world truly held for him.

And now the truth had come. He knew it now. Oh, how he knew all of it! He no longer felt like he was just trying to copy someone else, for this time he was confident in the reality of what he was doing. It was sad his master hadn't felt the same way. It had been hard for him when he saw persuasion just wasn't going to work. There was a piece of him that wished events had transpired differently, but now was not the time to be negative. His master had made his decision of his own volition, and he had made his.

There was so much to rejoice about now. All things were clear to him now, and the future was so exciting. Wondrous moments and affairs were just around the corner, and his skin was itching for them to come. The nerves in his teeth were rattling at simply thinking of what would occur in the future. His elation furthered his gratitude, and that gratitude is what raised him, raised his very essence ever higher.

It had been the right one. He was certain of that now.

He was especially certain of it when he stepped out of the cave and looked up to the welcoming star-strewn slate of the night. Thanks to the truth he was now so well-acquainted with he was able to appreciate its true nature, for the darkness behind those little lights was no longer dark to him. He could now see there were only more stars behind it, more light wishing to escape, to be known.

He lowered himself and felt the cold of the earth with his fingertips. No, that wasn't right. It was no longer cold. Astounding! He laughed aloud, his jubilant voice resounding deeply through the trees. He shook his head and chuckled softly this time at his old ignorance. He now knew it was only the absence of warmth that lingered in the cool ground and once he placed his own heat there, then the illusion dissipated. And there were so many more illusions out there, so many that needed to be abolished. He would tear them apart with his newfound senses, with his wisdom.

He stood up and drew in a deep, long breath from the night air. Yes, the time was coming. It would be slow-going, he knew, but it would be worth it once they all saw the truth. Many would turn and run, others would simply be stricken with awe and fall, but the ones that believed…

Yes, he mused happily, soon it would all be worthwhile.

He stood out there by the entrance of the cave until the crescent moon's half-carved face vanished behind the silver clouds. After that, Kabuto turned back to the cave with a large grin and disappeared into its cavernous mouth.

* * *

The steady thrum of the earth beat against her fingertips with that familiar rhythm. It was perfectly consistent, and that little fact always seemed to amaze her. It was as if it was singing a never-ending song and only a few lifeforms could appreciate its eternal melody. When her grandfather and father used to train her in her younger days, they had mentioned that one day she would recognize the thrum as her own and only that when that match was made would she be able to use its power. But they had failed to mention the _intimacy_ of it, the tender warmth it kissed her with, for that's the only sensation she knew from it—the pushing, stable murmur of the world turning, dancing to the motion of the whole universe. And she was a part of it.

Kurotsuchi sat cross-legged on the ground, her eyes closed, and her hands placed in front of her. The earth was flat and clear here. Her subordinates were nearby, watching her. She could sense their trepidation as she focused with the beat. Some of them had seen her perform this technique before but never on this scale. Her father had mastered it to the lethal extent of warfare, but she would be the one to utilize it to an even higher level. Because this wasn't for her or for any sense of accomplishment; this was for her people, for her friends.

As the world around her was quiet, Kurotsuchi's mind kept falling back to her father. His broad smile opening up was a memory she dwelled on often lately. He had been so strong, and strength was something she desperately wished for.

Kurotsuchi would never admit it openly, but she was actually quite the insecure woman. She was constantly transfixed by her inabilities, and the fear that she would never live up to the expectations placed before her. She had always been part of a family that was watched, looked up to, and that stress was like baggage on her soul.

But despite her grievances, Kurotsuchi had always admired her father's attitude. As the Tsuchikage's son, he had to have had the same expectations she grew up with and yet he was always so cheery and carefree, especially around her, as if he knew she would shatter if she ever saw him as anything else. He probably never knew how much she appreciated that. Because whenever she heard that hearty laugh of his, she felt strong. She felt like she could overcome any obstacle. Now, it was so much harder to be strong without him. Memories weren't solid enough; they were like the dust that formed during a battle: tense yet transient.

There was some hope still in her; however, and it manifested itself when she recalled her father's words about chakra. It had been when she was still a child learning how to transform her chakra nature, and her father had taken her out to the mountains to train. They had spent days out there, toiling over the finer nuances of her earth affinity, even though she had struggled with it for the majority of their time. It was only when her father had cleared everything up by stating the intimacy of the nature.

The soothing feeling came then, warming her soul as she remembered her father's words. She grasped the inherent strength from them and pulled as hard as she could. She could do this. She knew how to do this. She was the lord of her realm, and she would not forsake her people.

She could hear him now, his vibrant voice cutting through the thin air of the mountains. _The earth is supportive and always present, little one. Without it, all life would have no foundation. It's needed, wanted, loved. It's there for you...like a father._

Suddenly, she fired her chakra into the earth, and the energy branched out like roots. She let out a loud cry as the ground quaked before her tumultuous power. Many members of her team fell to their knees, unable to withstand the force that shook the entire landscape.

Giant cracks the size of gorges formed in front of Kurotsuchi and stretched far into the distance, passing beyond the horizon towards the ends of the immense clearing. At first, it was unclear what shape the great cracks were trying to create, but as Kurotsuchi molded her chakra into them, they began to become more discernible. Symmetrical lines jutted from her position and connected almost perfectly with each other. From within the depths of these cracks, gigantic natural walls started to rise, slowly reaching for the heavens as they were unearthed by a single mortal.

Beads of sweat fell from Kurotsuchi's skin while her breathing became harder to control, but she pushed herself even further, keeping a solid visual image of her father's smile. She wouldn't let him down. She couldn't. She would surpass him.

She yelled into the clearing and leaned forward, pressing even more chakra into the overwhelming technique. The earth must have heard her call because it listened to her command seamlessly and rose higher into the sky. Nearby trees groaned and shook under the erratic pressure as it stripped away their leaves and branches. Some members of the team successfully endured the onslaught and gazed at the enormous walls growing from the ground. Others simply lay prone and felt the tremors convulse within them, unable to concentrate on anything else.

Finally, after the walls reached the height she and her team had agreed upon, Kurotsuchi exhaled and stopped the surge of energy in her hands. The quaking ended, and the air seemed to move with one solid force into the area, as if the world itself had paused a moment to watch the spectacle.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to gain control of her breathing again. The amount of chakra she had exuded, even with her impeccable chakra control, had put too much strain on her body. She chuckled dryly in between her gasps as she dimly realized she needed to train more.

One of the shinobi assigned to the measuring unit gingerly approached her, an expression of sheer awe plastered on his face. "T-tsuchikage- _sama_? Are you all right?"

Kurotsuchi wiped her sweat-stained brow. "Yes, I'll be fine. Send the rest of the unit out and measure those walls now."

The shinobi saluted and nodded to his teammates. In a flash, they split into two groups and followed the opposing walls. After the unit was gone, Akatsuchi, who had been watching silently from the western edge of the forest neared her.

"Is it long enough?" he asked.

Kurotsuchi nodded slowly as she leaned back on her palms. "It should be. Hopefully, the measurements will match."

"I gotta say," he added as he crouched down and looked directly at her, "that was amazing. I haven't seen something like that since the war."

Kurotsuchi smiled and gazed to the east where the wall extended beyond the scope of her vision.

"Good," she stated simply as she fell and lay on her back.

High above the ground, a bird flew through the clouds and viewed the new landscape. If it was intelligent enough to ascertain the giant square below it that encompassed a large portion of the even larger clearing, it may have also noticed how such a massive thing hadn't been there a moment ago. But, of course, the bird gave no indication it knew anything at all and with a flutter of its wings, it faded into the vastness of the open sky.

* * *

A shooting star punctured the still night and left a temporary streak that was swallowed immediately after. Sakura glimpsed it just in time and felt a small ache when it was gone. Longing, much like that ache, tended to come slowly to her and when it was substantial enough to be noticeable, it was all she could think about.

Sakura had driven her motivation into the ground days ago, and now she was a disheartened mess with severe exhaustion. She sighed as she leaned against the railing of the walkway, the lower parts of Konoha stretching across her view from above. The world was quiet. She was empty.

She lowered her head and shook it. She was well-read on the subject of psychology; she knew her mental health was deteriorating, but she felt powerless to stop it. Earlier that night, she thought she had found a cure to the virus. She had proposed a new approach to her team about the research. It had been a relatively simple one involving the dissection of the virus by the specific cells it infected. It seemed to work at first. By dissecting the components of the virus, it began to decay. That was when she and Shizune tried to devise a synthetic agent to specifically dissect the virus, rather than bind to it like an organic one would as the standard binding would always result in the destruction of the agent.

And she had gotten so close. Naturally, perfection won out again. The virus fucking _adapted_ to the agent and grew hostile after a few of nearby infected cells were destroyed. It learned, and she wasn't smart enough to beat it.

Sakura shook her head. Psychology wouldn't approve of her thinking. Gnawing at her insecurities during times of failure was a huge step back in the health department. She knew she needed help. That was why she was heading towards the Hokage's house. Naruto had always been a person she could confide in, especially as a means of a replacement.

She winced at that guilty thought. She was doing it again, using his attention as a bandage. It was a terrible habit, but it was one she was accustomed to. She missed Sasuke, and Naruto had always been a stable figure she could rely on in his place. Up until he married Hinata (and perhaps even a little afterwards), she thought she had been leading the man on and felt that to be unfair, because he never expected anything from her. He never asked her to do something she was uncomfortable with or something she wasn't ready for. He asked so little of her, and yet she was so dependent on him.

And it was because of Sasuke. It was all because she couldn't get over her feelings for him. The very thought of him not making it through the outbreak terrified her to the point of breaking, despite her confidence that he had survived. The lack of certainty had taken its toll on her, and if she could just get a small confirmation from him, a note, a sign, anything; then maybe she could keep going. But the world was quiet, and she was empty.

She stopped at the door of Naruto's house. She knocked. The glassy night sky gleamed above her, and she looked up to it for comfort while she waited. She was still gazing at the still pieces up there—quietly waiting for another shooting star to greet her―when a person she wasn't expecting answered the door.

"Haruno- _san?_ " asked Samui as she peered through the crack in the doorway.

Sakura's head whipped around at hearing the unanticipated voice. She felt embarrassment creep up her cheeks as she shook her hands nervously. "Oh, Samui- _san_ , uh, I wasn't―er, where's Naruto?"

Samui touched the side of her face for a moment and then calmly addressed her. "He's out taking a walk with the Kazekage this evening. Was he expecting your visit tonight?"

Sakura averted her gaze. She certainly didn't want his assistant to infer she was at his house on more private manners, especially considering how late it was. "No, it's...impromptu, I believe."

"I see," said Samui.

"I didn't think you'd still be working tonight, Samui- _san_." Sakura felt the rush of blood in her head begin to drain, but she still felt slightly self-conscious. "I hope Naruto isn't overworking you."

Samui shook her head and smiled cordially. "Oh, no. I'm here because I'm far too stubborn, I'm afraid. But please come in, will you, Haruno- _san_?"

Sakura stepped into the house hastily. "Thank you. I'm sorry if I'm imposing."

The older woman shared a courteous smile. "Not at all, Haruno _-san_."

They both entered the living room of the house, and Samui motioned to one of the larger sofas. "If you'd like to have a seat, then you can wait here for the Hokage until he returns."

Sakura sat down on the sofa and eyed Samui curiously. "You act like a house attendant, Samui- _san_. It feels a little unexpected."

Samui tilted her head gently, her face placid and maintained. "Is it now? I apologize if I have offended you. I merely wish to appropriately serve one of the Hokage's greatest friends."

Sakura nodded stiffly. "Oh, yes, well, thank you. Then Naruto has spoken of me, I suppose?"

"Yes, quite often," answered Samui with a polite nod. "The Hokage speaks high volumes of you; there is much affection for you in his manner."

Sakura felt that stab of guilt again. How did that man show all that kindness and never ask for it in return? "We've always been close, I guess. It's good that he has you around, Samui- _san_. I'm always worried about him and how he'll constantly neglect himself for others."

A genuine smile crossed Samui's lips. The first one, Sakura sharply noticed, that didn't appear as only mere propriety to her. "Yes, he is a special man."

A warm flush of color shined in Samui's blue eyes then, and Sakura found herself puzzled by it. She wondered if that same warmth appeared in her whenever she spoke of Naruto as well. "Well then," started Sakura, "if we're both so fond of the man, then we should be friends, too, Samui- _san_. No more of this formal stuff, all right? Please, come sit with me."

An uncomfortable crease jaggedly crossed the older woman's brow. "Oh, I, um, couldn't ask such a thing of you."

"Then it's a good thing you're not asking me," said Sakura. "I feel terrible I haven't bothered to get to know you yet. With everything being so hectic, it's rather hard to find time to just talk like we all used to."

Samui's eyes lowered gently. "Yes, I rather miss that. Although, the Hokage has been quite gracious with me by our conversations. It used to be very difficult for me to open up before meeting him."

Sakura had to grin at that. "Believe me; he's a pro at doing that to people. Now, you gotta tell me how he asked you to be his assistant."

For only a second, Sakura observed a change in Samui's expression―dull fear passing over her features as if a shadow was turning in its sleep. "No, er, Sakura- _san_ , that may not be suitable conversation at this time."

She didn't want to push it necessarily, but Sakura's inquisitive nature was too interested. "No, I'd really like to know. He saw something in you, didn't he?"

Up until now, Samui's cool visage had been virtually unbreakable, but the topic of Naruto's assistance must have been a sensitive one. "No, it's not a cool subject, I promise you. I was...restless then because of the outbreak and now…well..."

"You've found a purpose?" asked Sakura.

Samui's gaze locked onto hers, it's striking, glacial quality evoking admiration into Sakura. "Yes, I suppose that's it. I'm very grateful to him because of that. We've all lost loved ones recently, and that's a rather off-putting experience, much like misplacing something important and never really finding it again. That is why the Hokage's kindness has been extremely rewarding."

Sakura felt inspired by that. It seemed to relieve that emptiness in her, as if the loneliness could abate with words alone. "If I'm honest, I believe that's why I'm here tonight, Samui _-san_. I've always felt it was selfish, but I tend to seek out his attention whenever I need it, which, frankly, is a lot."

"Of course, you need it," added Samui. "You've been working so hard on a cure, isn't that right? I can't imagine the constant pressure you endure every day, Sakura- _san._ Your strength must be immense."

Sakura sensed the urge to politely resist the compliment. "It's really nothin―"

"Absolutely not!" interjected Samui, which furthered Sakura's bewilderment. "Please do not say such a thing, Sakura- _san_. The Hokage has mentioned numerous times how selfless and brave you are for doing what you do. He doesn't believe anybody else could do it, and I agree with him!"

The sudden vehemence in her voice caused a rise of emotion within Sakura. Her bleak rumination earlier that evening had made her pensive and sentimental, but this seemed to diminish that. It was similar to the sensation she received from Naruto at times, but because it was a woman who quite recently used to be a stranger, it felt even more potent.

More and more, Sakura was worried she was becoming insane. The stress and emotion were affecting her mind like a terrible stain. And it was enough to hear encouragement from a friend, but by seeing it also influence someone as stoic as Samui gave Sakura a jolt. Maybe if Naruto could do this, if he could unify all of them, then maybe they could all get through it. Maybe it would all work out.

"I...I'm very grateful to hear you say that," Sakura finally admitted after allowing those words to soak in. "I _needed_ hear that, actually."

"And isn't that amazing?" Samui mused quietly. Her soft smile smoothly melted all remaining misgivings within the younger woman. "Isn't it amazing to feel such encouragement from another? I've been wanting to share that ever since the Hokage first showed me what it meant to feel that again."

Sakura nodded, knowing all her assumptions had been correct; it all came back to Naruto. The man was a miracle, and they couldn't have done any of it without him. "Yeah, it's pretty amazing."

Suddenly, the front door opened, and Naruto and Gaara entered the house from their evening stroll. Upon seeing the two women seated in his living room, the young man stopped and exchanged a curious glance between the two of them. They must have been revealing their adoration openly because he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and asked:

"Why are you two smiling at me like that?"

* * *

If matters hadn't been so dire, then Tsunade would have felt elation in seeing her comrades again, yet doing so somehow only elevated the urgency. Kakashi seemed to show the greatest amount of relief upon seeing her out of everybody else and at one point, she actually thought he was going to embrace her.

"It's good to see you again, Tsunade- _san_ ," Kakashi greeted when they had all entered the grove.

Sasuke had requested for her to be stationed in the deeper section of the forest with his teammates for when he would bring Kakashi's group over. Jugo and Karin barely possessed any impatience the whole time, or at least it had seemed that way to Tsunade because of her inability to shake away her growing anxiety. She had initially thought it would take some time until they would actually meet again, but she had underestimated Sasuke's deduction skills. Not the first time nor the last, she realized only after seeing his nod to her.

Tsunade planted her hands in the pockets of her robe and sighed. "I wish this reunion was less serious, Kakashi, but I'm afraid there's much we need to discuss. Has Sasuke debriefed you at all yet?"

There was an odd glance passed between the two men, one that made Tsunade yearn for her old teacher a little. "He just mentioned the major parts," replied Kakashi.

Behind them, Jugo let out a sound that resembled a chuckle, but Tsunade wasn't sure if it was comprised of amusement or not. "I see. Well, are you surprised at all?"

"By who it was?" asked Kakashi. "To be honest, I'm a little disappointed with myself. I should have figured it out sooner."

Tsunade shook her head. "That doesn't matter right now. We've been tracking him for weeks now, but we just recently lost the trail. I'm sure it won't take Sasuke and his team long to find him again, but that's why we need to make this brief." She stepped away from the tree and approached until she was right in front of him. "He's gathering support as we speak."

There was obvious fear in Kakashi's eyes upon hearing that, but even more than that, Tsunade saw a clear distinction of ambition. The man was ready for what was to come, probably more so than she was. "How much?" he asked. "For how long?"

"Since the outbreak started, really. And we're not sure of the exact numbers, but he's been targeting the survivors of the minor villages, mostly. Jugo and Karin have managed to capture and interrogate a couple of his supporters, but it's been difficult to discern their objective."

Kakashi rubbed his forehead restlessly. "Do you know why he released the virus in the first place?"

Tsunade's lips tightened, and she eyed Sasuke. He wasn't looking at them and was standing near the edge of the grove, hovering under the shadows of the trees. He was still staring off into the dark woods when he answered Kakashi's question. "He's lost some of his reason, but that doesn't make him any less of a threat." Sasuke's dark eyes were now aimed directly at Kakashi. "He's dangerous, perhaps more than Orochimaru ever was."

Anko, who appeared to have been agitated since she had arrived, cut in: "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Kakashi's shoulders lowered, as if he was fatigued by simply hearing her voice. The other diverse members of their team also seemed to be exasperated by her outburst. "Anko, please―"

"No!" she exclaimed. "If it's as bad as they're saying, then we need to _do_ something now. We could probably go kill him right now, right? This bastard could do it in a blink of an eye, right?" She walked right up to Sasuke and pointed her finger into his face. "I bet you've even had the chance to do it already, huh? Why didn't you do it, then? Were you scared? Are you a traitor again? Goddammit, why isn't he dead?!"

Sasuke coolly looked at her, his gaze unflinching, and said nothing.

Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Anko, enough. It's wrong to question him like this. Sasuke knows what he's doing."

Anko turned defiantly to him. "How can you trust a man who betrayed us in the past?"

Kakashi's expression was much like Sasuke's then. Tsunade didn't miss that, and she pondered over it sometime afterwards. "Do you trust me, Anko?"

Tsunade wasn't certain of what she saw in Anko's eyes then, but she knew there was a development between the two of them; that much was clear. For all the years she had known the two of them, she thought this particular argument showcased their personalities rather well. Anko was scared and so was Kakashi, but the different ways they managed their fear was noteworthy. Tsunade felt this conversation was important for them, and she didn't think it was her place to interrupt that.

"Of course," Anko answered quietly, all her previous emotion leaking away. "Of course, I do."

"Then trust him, too. Naruto does, and so do I."

Tsunade saw annoyance in Sasuke's glare, but she could tell he was probably thankful for Kakashi's interference. They were going to need all the help they could get, and internal conflict was only going to make everything worse.

Anko gritted her teeth and backed away, defeated. Kakashi then turned to Sasuke. "What's our next course of action?"

Sasuke looked over at Tsunade impassively. "Ask her," he said.

She had been impressed with the young man over the past several weeks. His leadership skills were extraordinary, as evidenced by how he handled his subordinates and even herself. He hadn't talked down to her once, which he was prone to do to people. He kept it together, and she hadn't fully realized how much she had needed that yet. So when he acknowledged her like that, even when it was simple and almost curt in manner, it made her respect him.

Tsunade nodded and kept a grave face. "Yes, well, I think it's time we brought this to Konoha. The Kage need to know what's going on. From there, we can start formulating a plan. Of course, we should still maintain our surveillance of the enemy."

Sasuke crossed the grove toward his subordinates. "Jugo, Karin, you two will do that. Suigetsu and I will accompany them to Konoha."

Suigetsu grinned and nudged Sasuke with his elbow. "We get to see your boy toy, eh?" he jeered. "Maybe I'll actually get to see you smile again."

Sasuke glared at him and turned his back from the group after Karin and Jugo gave their confirmation and left the grove.

Before they all left for Konoha, Kakashi approached Tsunade, his expression revealing his apprehension. "Tsunade- _sama_ , this is all very overwhelming."

She wanted to laugh at how precise of an observation that was. "I know, Kakashi. I'm surprised I'm still sane after all this."

It was clear there were many questions within Kakashi's eyes. The man was wrestling with all the issues she had been struggling with for what felt like an eternity. But the one he decided to ask then was something she often thought about frequently whenever she was allowed to think about such matters in the later parts of her life.

"And what have you been doing this whole time, exactly?" he asked.

Tsunade recalled the first few weeks of the outbreak. She had been traveling alone for well over a year until then, and after the peaceful exchanges and experiences of that year, it was difficult to handle the sudden twist of reality she had been thrown into. She had seen many innocent people die. She had tried to help all of them, making temporary clinics in the poor, remote villages she had found on the outskirts of the world. She had held dying babies in her arms and heard crying mothers screaming for mercy. There had even been small chaotic skirmishes between some survivors, which she had to either pacify or bury. All the while, (much like her former apprentice) she had felt powerless. By the time Sasuke had found her and asked for assistance, she had been reduced to an emotional shell. But when he had told her that a person, an actual human soul, had created the horror she had been witnessing, her demeanor had changed. She had a fire in her, and she was going to scorch the one responsible.

But she didn't say any of that to Kakashi then. All she said before she led them out of the forest and towards their destination, towards their tiny glimmer of hope, was: "Surviving."

* * *

 **I feel terribly guilty that this chapter took as long as it did to complete. It's just that there were a couple scenes that were incredibly difficult for me to write down, particularly the Kurotsuchi one. I can't really explain as to why that was this time around, but that's the truth of it. I sure hope you enjoyed this update, nonetheless. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it.**

 **-CM**


End file.
